Autonomous University of Barcelona

History

2020: The agreement with Servye for acceleration of researches of Parkinson's disease

On July 8, 2020 it became known that the international independent pharmaceutical company "Servye" and the Autonomous University of Barcelona signed the agreement on cooperation for acceleration of researches of Parkinson's disease using a method of screening of small molecules. This method is developed by professor El Salvador Ventura, the doctor of science, the head of group of researchers at Institute of biotechnologies and biomedicine and at department of biochemistry and molecular biology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Within the agreement specialists of Servye together with research groups under the leadership of professor Ventura will work on further development and determination of the chemical compounds capable to neutralize pathogenic action alpha sinukleina — the protein playing a key role in development not only Parkinson's disease but also some other neurodegenerative diseases.

Discovery of medicines for treatment of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases — one of the key directions in work with Servye as many needs of the patients having these diseases remain unsatisfied — Ross Dzheggo, the director of neuropsychiatric researches of the Servye group notes. — Thanks to examination of professor Ventura this cooperation will help Servye to accelerate considerably researches in the field and to increase availability of treatment to patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The research groups headed by professor Ventura have experience of researches of the wrong turning and aggregation of proteins and their connections with development of neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers pay special attention to development of medicines for treatment of these pathologies. In particular, they developed the methodology allowing to define the potential candidates making purposeful impact on an alpha sinuklein among thousands of chemical compounds.

Cooperation with Servye will allow us to combine efforts and to aim them at finding and receiving a molecule which can be used for treatment and, perhaps, even prevention of Parkinson's disease — professor Ventura emphasizes.

Parkinson's disease about 10 million people have worldwide that does it by the second in prevalence neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Parkinson's disease is followed by the progressing degeneration or even total disappearance of neurons in the certain area of a brain which is responsible for dopamine development — the neurotransmitter participating in control of motive function. The age — a pacing factor of risk of development of this disease at which the person first of all loses capability normally to move. For the beginning of July, 2020 the basic medical needs connected with this disease remain unsatisfied as the medicines having neuroprotective or neuroregenerative effect are still not developed.