BDD Pharma signs agreement with Contera Pharma for development of a novel tablet formulation to treat nocturnal symptoms and morning akinesia in Parkinson´s disease

Contera Pharma, a biotech company developing innovative therapies to treat neurological disorders, has entered into collaboration with BDD Pharma, a drug delivery company specializing in modified and controlled release oral formulations, to begin the development of a novel formulation of levodopa / carbidopa (CP-012) to specifically treat Parkinson´s disease (PD) patients suffering from nocturnal or early morning motor complications. These night-time and early morning immobility episodes are known to be a cause of significant disability, in addition to having a negative impact on quality of life. Contera Pharma has recently acquired the global patent and project rights to CP-012 from Solural Pharma, past partner on the program, thereby consolidating full ownership of the project.

Carol Thomson, CEO of BDD Pharma said “We are delighted to be working with Contera Pharma to develop this innovative product which will have a significant impact on the lives of patients with Parkinson’s disease. BDD’s OralogiK™ technology is uniquely placed to deliver the therapeutic advantages offered by CP-012 and we look forward to helping to bring this product quickly to the market”

“The agreement further strengthens our commitment for identifying novel treatments for patients suffering for movement disorders, incl. Parkinson’s disease. We are excited to work with BDD to accelerate this project. In Parkinson´s patients, there is a high medical need for a new oral levodopa/carbidopa formulation that could sustain therapeutic plasma levels over a substantial proportion of the later part of sleep time up towards the early morning hours. We believe that CP-012 has the potential to be an effective and reliable solution of nocturnal and early morning motor problems in Parkinson´s disease patients and that this treatment concept is likely to find a prominent role in future clinical practice. By utilizing BDDs specialized technology we can accelerate the development of this novel treatment option and expect to test it in healthy volunteers within the next year and further explore its potential in patients within the next 1-2 years”, says Thomas Sager, CEO of Contera Pharma.

About morning akinesia
Mobility problems and recurring tremor early in the morning before the first intake of levodopa are early events in the development of motor complications associated with sustained oral levodopa treatment of PD. Recent surveys have indicated that early morning akinesia (or morning OFF episodes) are present in around 60% of PD patients across all disease stages and that a similar number of patients are affected by nocturnal immobility with difficulties turning in bed. Importantly, in most patients experiencing early morning akinesia, this is associated with non-motor symptoms such as anxiety, depression, pain, and urinary urge. Taken together, nocturnal immobility and morning akinesia and are significant contributors to impaired sleep quality and reduced quality of life for patients. There are currently no effective, reliable, and easy to use treatment options available to satisfactorily address these problems.

About BDD
BDD Pharma Ltd is a privately-owned drug delivery company specializing in the development of modified and controlled release oral formulations. BDD’s OralogiK™ technology is a tablet-in-tablet drug delivery system providing timed release, targeted release and the opportunity for complex bi- and tri-phasic release of one or multiple drugs. The OralogiK™ technology is protected with granted patents across a number of territories including the US, EU and Japan. Supported by investment from Archangels, the Scottish Investment Bank, Alderley Park Ventures and BioCity Investments, BDD has in-house clinical trial capabilities for the conduct of gamma scintigraphic/ pharmacokinetic studies in humans.
BDD’s SWIFT adaptive clinical trials integrate formulation development, GMP manufacturing and clinical testing into one streamlined service, offering a more flexible approach than the conventional clinical trial design structure.

About Contera Pharma
Contera Pharma is focused on developing new treatments for people suffering from neurological disorders. Contera Pharma’s science is based on a precision medicine approach integrating external and internal data sources to support rational selection of human disease-validated drug discovery targets to identify novel pipeline opportunities within neurological disorders. The company’s lead asset, JM-010, is currently in Phase IIb clinical testing for Parkinson’s disease dyskinesia.
Contera Pharma was founded in 2010 and has offices in Hørsholm, Denmark and Seoul, South-Korea.