Umecrine Cognition invited to showcase Parkinson’s disease program and new translational data at The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s 18th Annual PDTC 2026
Umecrine Cognition invited to showcase Parkinson’s disease program and new translational data at The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s 18th Annual PDTC 2026
STOCKHOLM – October 7, 2026. Umecrine Cognition today announced that it will participate in The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference (PDTC) 2026. The annual meeting brings together researchers and business development professionals from academia and industry to share new and unpublished findings and foster collaboration around Parkinson’s drug development. In connection with the conference, the company has been invited to participate in an invitation-only pre-conference showcase featuring companies from MJFF’s therapeutics funding portfolio. At PDTC, taking place October 14–15, 2026, in New York City, Umecrine Cognition will present new preclinical data showing that golexanolone was associated with motor and non-motor improvements in a mechanistically distinct, α-synuclein-driven PD model, strengthening the translational rationale for its therapeutic approach.
Umecrine Cognition’s Parkinson’s development program is supported by a coherent and replicated preclinical evidence base. Golexanolone previously demonstrated sustained improvements in motor and non-motor symptoms in the established neurotoxic 6-OHDA model of PD, accompanied by reduced neuroinflammation and normalization of disease-related biomarkers.
The new data extends these findings to a progressive α-synuclein-driven neurodegenerative PD model, where golexanolone again improved motor and non-motor behavior, including fatigue, coordination and anhedonia, a symptom of depression. Convergent efficacy across two mechanistically distinct models reduces model-specific risk and supports a shared downstream mechanism involving neuroinflammation and altered neuronal signaling, strengthening confidence in the mechanism of action and clinical translation of GAMSA pharmacology.
These findings build on peer-reviewed publications and are being further investigated through studies supported by The Michael J. Fox Foundation through its Therapeutics Pipeline Program which supports preclinical and clinical research designed to evaluate potential therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease. The grant supports the collaboration between Umecrine Cognition and Professor Gilberto Fisone at Karolinska Institute, with additional preclinical studies being conducted at the Príncipe Felipe Research Center in Spain under a subcontracting agreement with Umecrine Cognition.
“Non-motor symptoms remain an important unmet need in Parkinson’s disease, and advancing new therapeutic approaches requires rigorous evidence at the preclinical stage,” said Shalini Padmanabhan, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Translational Research at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. “The studies supported through this award will help generate the preclinical evidence needed to evaluate golexanolone’s effects on disease-related symptoms and biology and determine whether this therapeutic approach warrants further advancement toward clinical development.”
" We are honoured to participate in this year’s Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference and to present at the showcase, bringing Umecrine Cognition’s work directly to scientists, investors and business development professionals in the field. The replicated efficacy of golexanolone across mechanistically distinct PD models, together with converging effects on neuroinflammation and functional outcomes, meaningfully strengthens our confidence in translating GAMSA pharmacology into clinical development in Parkinson’s disease. We look forward to presenting these findings and discussing the next steps for the scientific and business development of our neurodegenerative program," comments Dr. Magnus Doverskog, CSO of Umecrine Cognition.
For further information, please contact:
Viktor Drvota, CEO, Umecrine Cognition AB
Phone: +46 73 982 52 02, e-mail: viktor.drvota@umecrine.se
About Umecrine Cognition
Umecrine Cognition AB is developing a completely new class of drugs for the treatment of symptoms in the central nervous system related to chronic neuroinflammation – a devastating brain distortion that can lead to severely impaired cognition and fatigue. Chronic neuroinflammation can occur as a result of a number of underlying conditions, including a range of liver diseases as well as neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease. Results from an internationally acclaimed Phase 2 clinical study indicate that the company's most advanced drug candidate, the GABAA receptor-modulating steroid antagonist (GAMSA) golexanolone, normalizes brain signaling and improves cognition and alertness in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. A Phase 2 study is currently ongoing in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. Further, based on intriguing preclinical data, the company is considering pursuing the development of GAMSA in patients with Parkinson’s disease. For more information, visit www.umecrinecognition.com.