Oryon Cell Therapies launches with $21 million to advance Parkinson’s treatment

Mar 23 (Reuters) – Oryon Cell Therapies emerged from stealth on Monday with $21 million in new funding and early clinical data showing signs that its experimental therapy may help restore lost brain function in Parkinson’s patients.

The new tranche brings Oryon’s total funding to $42 million.

Here are some details:

* The Series A financing was backed by investors includingNeuro.VC, Byers Capital and others. * The company appointed Ron Cohen as its new chief executiveofficer. * Oryon’s therapy takes a Parkinson’s patient’s blood cells,turns them into stem cells, and then into the specificdopamine‑producing brain cells destroyed by the disease,allowing the cells to be implanted without the need forimmunosuppression. * Early data from five evaluable patients in an ongoingtrial showed consistent motor improvements of about 29% to 62%from baseline between six and 18 months after treatment, with noserious side effects reported. * Cohen told Reuters that brain imaging scans are directlytracking clinical improvements patient by patient, calling it”encouraging” because “when that patient does respond … all ofa sudden we see that the scan is lighting up where it’s supposedto.” * Funding will also go toward building Oryon’s ownmanufacturing facility to reduce costs and prepare for aneventual large-scale late-stage trial.

(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)