While COMT inhibitors are well-established in Parkinson's disease treatment, several other enzymes in the dopamine metabolic pathway represent therapeutic targets. This page covers companies targeting:
AADC converts levodopa to dopamine. Gene therapy targeting AADC offers a disease-modifying approach.
| Company | Program | Mechanism | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager Therapeutics | VY-AADC | AAV-AADC gene therapy | Phase 1 |
| AbbVie | ABBV-951 (foslevodopa) | Prodrug delivery | Phase 3 |
| Cerevel | Tavaborole | AADC gene therapy | Phase 2 |
| Pasadena | AADC gene therapy | AAV delivery | Preclinical |
DBH converts dopamine to norepinephrine. DBH inhibition increases dopamine levels.
| Company | Program | Focus | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rarecyte | DBH inhibitors | Norepinephrine modulation | Research |
| AstraZeneca | DBH programs | Cardiovascular/CNS | Discovery |
MAO-A metabolizes dopamine in the brain. Selective MAO-A inhibition represents an alternative to MAO-B inhibitors.
| Company | Program | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple | MAO-A inhibitors | Research phase |
AADC gene therapy uses AAV vectors to deliver the AADC gene directly to the striatum, enabling neurons to produce AADC and convert levodopa to dopamine more efficiently.
| Company | Product | Approach | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager Therapeutics | VY-AADC | AAV2-AADC | Phase 1 |
| AbbVie | ABBV-951 | Gene therapy | Phase 3 |
| Cerevel | Tavaborole | AAV-AADC | Phase 2 |
AADC gene therapy may:
DBH inhibition prevents conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, preserving dopamine for receptor activation.
| Target | Company | Compound | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| DBH | Various | Research compounds | Discovery |
While MAO-B inhibitors are standard of care, selective MAO-A inhibition is being explored:
| Target | Development Stage |
|---|---|
| MAO-A | Preclinical/Discovery |
| Enzyme | Function | Inhibition Effect | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AADC | Levodopa → Dopamine | Gene therapy approach | Phase 1-3 |
| DBH | Dopamine → Norepinephrine | Preserves dopamine | Discovery |
| MAO-A | Dopamine breakdown | Alternative to MAO-B | Research |
| MAO-B | Dopamine breakdown | Widely used (approved) | Commercial |
| COMT | Dopamine breakdown | Widely used (approved) | Commercial |