Horizon Europe-funded HERMOD project launches to support Phase 2 development of HER-096 in Parkinson’s disease
Espoo, Finland, 11 November 2026: Herantis Pharma Plc (“Herantis”), a clinical-stage company developing disease-modifying therapies to stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease, today announces that the Horizon Europe-funded research Project HERMOD (HER-096 Motor Outcomes and Disease Modification in Parkinson’s Disease) has officially launched to support the multinational Phase 2 clinical study of HER-096, its lead candidate for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The €8 million project brings together leading clinical research, academic and industry partners across Europe.
Prof. Rejko Krüger, lead principal investigator at Luxembourg Institute of Health and Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, said: “HERMOD brings together complementary expertise across Europe to evaluate and advance a promising investigational therapy for Parkinson’s disease. By combining scientific excellence, clinical expertise and cross-sector collaboration, we aim to generate knowledge that may help improve the lives of people living with this condition.”
Antti Vuolanto, CEO of Herantis Pharma, said: “We are pleased to launch HERMOD and begin the next stage in the clinical development of HER-096. This project will help us evaluate the potential of HER-096 in people with Parkinson’s disease and generate important evidence to support future development decisions.”
Evaluating HER-096 in a Phase 2 clinical study
HERMOD Phase 2 clinical study is a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled study in people with newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. The study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of HER-096 while also exploring innovative digital biomarkers that may help detect treatment effects and disease progression more sensitively.
The study will recruit approximately 100 participants at clinical sites across Europe, including sites participating in the EU-funded HERMOD consortium. The study will include a 36-week double-blind, placebo-controlled period followed by a 24-week period during which all participants will receive active treatment.
Study preparations are progressing as planned. Clinical Trial Application (CTA) submission is targeted for Q4 2026, with first participant dosing expected in H1 2027, subject to financing and regulatory approvals.
A European collaboration
The HERMOD consortium combines expertise in clinical neurology, Parkinson’s disease research, biomarker development, clinical trial operations, data analysis and innovation management. The project is coordinated by Karolinska University Hospital, while Herantis Pharma Plc, the developer of HER-096, serves as the Sponsor of the Phase 2 clinical study and leads the project’s scientific and technical implementation. Luxembourg Institute of Health leads clinical study activities in collaboration with Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg. Karolinska University Hospital and Skåne University Hospital serve as clinical sites, and Karolinska Institutet contributes expertise in advanced brain imaging.
The consortium includes:
- Herantis Pharma Plc (Finland) – Sponsor of the Phase 2 clinical study and Developer of HER-096
- Karolinska University Hospital (Sweden) – Project Coordinator and Clinical site
- Luxembourg Institute of Health (Luxembourg) – Clinical study lead in collaboration with Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, which serves as a clinical site
- Skåne University Hospital (Sweden) – Clinical site
- Karolinska Institutet – Centre for Imaging Research, Brain Molecular Imaging Center and MRI Center
The consortium's clinical sites will contribute to patient recruitment and study execution alongside other participating clinical sites outside the EU-funded consortium.
Expected impact
The EU-funded HERMOD project aims to strengthen Europe’s leadership in neurodegenerative disease research while advancing the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease. In addition to evaluating HER-096, the project is expected to contribute to improvements in clinical assessment methods, advances in biomarker development, and a deeper understanding of disease progression.
The HERMOD Phase 2 clinical study seeks to translate scientific advances into potential benefits for patients, healthcare systems and society.
About HERMOD
Project title: HERMOD – HER-096 Motor Outcomes and Disease Modification in Parkinson’s Disease
Programme: Horizon Europe
Grant Agreement No.: 101286586
Coordinator: Karolinska University Hospital
Clinical Trial Sponsor: Herantis Pharma Plc
Website (coming soon): www.hermod-project.eu
Funding
The HERMOD EU consortium is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101286586.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
About Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, affecting more than 10 million people globally. The disease progressively impairs movement and quality of life and is associated with a wide range of non-motor symptoms. While currently available treatments can help manage motor symptoms, there remains a significant unmet need for therapies that can slow or halt the underlying disease process and address non-motor symptoms.
The HERMOD project seeks to address this challenge by evaluating HER-096, an investigational therapy designed to support neuronal function and potentially modify disease progression.
For more information, please contact:
Herantis Pharma Plc
Antti Vuolanto, CEO
Tel: +358407517329
Tone Kvåle, CFO
Tel: +47 915 19576
Email: ir@herantis.com
ICR Healthcare
Sarah Elton-Farr, Stephanie Cuthbert, Phillip Marriage
Tel: +44 20 3709 5700
Email: herantispharma@icrhealthcare.com
Certified Advisor:
UB Corporate Finance Ltd
Tel: +358 9 25 380 225
Email: ubcf@unitedbankers.fi
About Herantis Pharma Plc
Herantis Pharma Plc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing disease-modifying therapies for people with Parkinson’s disease. The Company’s lead candidate, HER-096, is a first-in-class small peptide that combines the neuroprotective mechanism of cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) with the convenience of subcutaneous administration. In a Phase 1b clinical trial, HER-096 was shown to be generally safe and well tolerated in Parkinson’s disease patients. Herantis plans to advance HER-096 into a Phase 2 clinical trial in 2027 to evaluate its efficacy, safety, and tolerability in people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease.
Herantis is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland.
Company website: www.herantis.com
Forward-looking statements
This release includes forward-looking statements which are not historical facts but statements regarding future expectations instead. These forward-looking statements include without limitation, those regarding Herantis’ future financial position and results of operations, the Company’s strategy, objectives, future developments in the markets in which the Company participates or is seeking to participate or anticipated regulatory changes in the markets in which the Company operates or intends to operate. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “projected,” “should” or “will” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions. The Company’s actual results of operations, including the Company’s financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which the Company operates, may differ materially from (and be more negative than) those made in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements contained in this company release. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to risks associated with implementation of Herantis’ strategy, risks and uncertainties associated with the development and/or approval of Herantis’ drug candidates, ongoing and future clinical trials and expected trial results, the ability to commercialize drug candidates, technology changes and new products in Herantis’ potential market and industry, Herantis’ freedom to operate in respect of the products it develops (which freedom may be limited, e.g., by competitors’ patents), the ability to develop new products and enhance existing products, the impact of competition, changes in general economy and industry conditions, and legislative, regulatory and political factors. In addition, even if Herantis’ historical results of operations, including the Company’s financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which the Company operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this company release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.