Oryon Cell Therapies announced on Mar. 23 that it has raised $42 million in capital to support the development of its neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The funding includes a recently closed $21 million series A tranche, according to the company.
The investment will allow Oryon to advance its lead autologous cell therapy, which is designed to replenish dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Early results from an interim Phase 1b/2a study involving five participants showed substantial improvements in motor function, with scores on a validated assessment tool decreasing by 29% to 62% from baseline at six to eighteen months of follow-up. Additional improvements were seen in mobility tests such as the Timed Up and Go test.
The company reported that motor improvements covered areas including gait, rigidity, and bradykinesia—an extreme slowing of movement associated with Parkinson’s disease. The investigational therapy also demonstrated biomarker benefits; dopamine transporter imaging revealed marked increases in dopaminergic signaling in brain regions receiving the cell transplant. In one patient, dopamine activity increased more than five-fold at six months post-treatment.
Several patients were able to reduce their doses of levodopa, a common treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms, suggesting that Oryon's therapy may decrease reliance on traditional dopamine replacement therapies. "These findings are 'exhilarating,'" Oryon CEO Ron Cohen said in a prepared statement on Monday, adding that the early clinical findings "show motor improvements and corresponding neuroimaging evidence of restored dopaminergic signaling." Cohen brings over three decades of experience as CEO and founder of Acorda Therapeutics and director roles at biotechnology organizations.
Oryon's announcement comes amid growing interest in new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease. Other companies such as Ventyx Biosciences—which was acquired by Eli Lilly earlier this year—and Aspen Neuroscience are pursuing novel treatments targeting inflammation or using similar autologous neuronal precursor cell therapies.
With its new funding, Oryon plans not only to advance clinical development but also scale up manufacturing capacity ahead of potential Phase 3 trials.
