Researchers led by Sinopia Biosciences, a startup originating from the University of California San Diego, announced on July 15 that their drug candidate SB-0110 improved the effects of L-dopa while reducing involuntary movements in animal models of Parkinson's disease. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine.
L-dopa, also known as levodopa, is currently the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease but often leads to erratic and involuntary movements called dyskinesia after prolonged use. According to the researchers, SB-0110 boosted L-dopa’s benefits and reduced these side effects in both rodent and non-human primate models.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 8.5 million people worldwide were living with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 and notes that its prevalence has doubled globally over the past 25 years. After nine or more years of levodopa treatment, about 70% of patients develop motor fluctuations between doses and about 90% experience dyskinesia.
Ali Bordbar conducted his graduate studies at UC San Diego under Bernhard Palsson before co-founding Sinopia Biosciences in 2014 to address challenges related to side effects using computational approaches. The company launched at UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute Innovation Space, which provided access to experts across multiple disciplines. Funding for this research came primarily from Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Institutes of Health, with additional support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
In collaboration with private partners and academic specialists at UC San Diego as well as Atuka and Motac Neuroscience, Sinopia tested SB-0110 based on computer analysis suggesting it could maintain gene activity patterns linked to L-dopa benefits while counteracting those associated with dyskinesia. The compound is derived from an older heart drug used outside the United States and targets a brain signaling system called PKA-II connected to movement and dopamine responses.
Bordbar said, “We’re really excited that there’s a high chance that this could work clinically.” He added that while pre-clinical results do not always translate directly into human treatments, Sinopia is completing toxicology studies required for regulatory review, and aims to begin first-in-human testing next year.
