A Triangle startup is getting a financial boost from a Hollywood star to fight Parkinson’s disease.
Eboo Pharmaceuticals is researching compounds for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, and Michael J. Fox’s Foundation is providing a financial hand. The Hollywood star is among the highest profile patients afflicted with the disease.
On Wednesday, privately held Eboo announced it had been awarded a grant worth as much as $1.5 million to help advance the compounds it has under development. The compounds also might be used to fight other afflictions.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center helped launch the company with a loan.
The grants will be used for nonprimate proof of concept efficacy studies.
“This grant provides important validation for the further development of this new and unique dual-target mechanism of action as a potentially high-impact approach to improve the lives of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Jonathon Holt, the firm’s chief scientific officer.
Eboo is focused on so-called DAMA compounds.
“One of our Foundation’s priorities is the development of promising symptomatic treatments to improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s today,” said Dr. Maurizio Facheris, associate director of Research Programs at MJFF. “DAMA compounds represent a new approach in treating the motor symptoms of the disease.”
The Fox foundation also has funded research at Winston-Salem based Targacept.
