Roche starts Phase II PD trial of PRX002, Prothena receives $30M

Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY) began the 2-part, international Phase II PASADENA trial to evaluate 1,500 and 4,500 mg IV PRX002 (RG7935) every 4 weeks in about 300 patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD). The trial start triggered a $30 million milestone payment to Prothena Corp. plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) under the companies’ 2013 co-development and -commercialization for mAbs targeting alpha synuclein (SNCA), including Prothena’s PRX002 (see BioCentury Dec. 16, 2013).

The double-blind trial’s 52-week first portion will enroll patients who are not on dopaminergic therapy and are not expected to require dopaminergic therapy for ≥52 weeks. The second portion is a 52-week extension wherein placebo patients from the first portion will receive 1 of the 2 PRX002 doses. Patients are allowed to use concomitant dopaminergic therapy in the second portion...