Interview: Prothena tackles diseases of protein accumulation

Prothena President and CEO Dr. Dale Schenk briefs Mike Ward, global director of content of Informa's pharma insights portfolio, on the progress the company has made since it spun out of Elan Corp at the end of 2012. The Irish company has three antibody programs focusing on diseases associated with protein accumulation in the clinic. The lead program is NEOD001, which is a monoclonal antibody targeting the amyloid that accumulates in light chain amyloidosis. Dr. Schenk reveals that he expects to report results from the Phase IIb PRONTO trial at the end of 2017, early 2018, while the results of the pivotal Phase III VITAL study will come after that. In collaboration with Roche, the company is developing a monoclonal antibody, PRX002, that targets alpha-synuclein, a protein that has a fundamental role in the progression of Parkinson's disease and other conditions. Dr. Schenk reveals that the company has already completed one Phase I study with the molecule and is expecting to report the results of a much larger Phase I trial by the end of 2016. The third program is a monoclonal antibody, PRX003, that selectively blocks MCAM-mediated cell adhesion, which is in Phase I trials and is being developed as a treatment for psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions.

Interviewee: Dale Schenk – President and CEO, Prothena Corporation

Interviewer: Mike Ward – Global Director of Content, Informa Pharma Insights