CicaNeuro aims to treat Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease affects nearly 260,000 people in France. Current treatments for this condition are merely symptomatic. They generally consist of a dopamine precursor that enables the remaining neurons to function. This is because the disease destroys neurons, and once they have died, they cannot be restored. The connections between them are diminished. As a result, patients suffer from tremors and movements that become slower and freeze up. "Patients often die from falls or choking whilst eating. Not to mention that many suffer from depression linked to the decline in their abilities," laments Bruno Figadère, a researcher at the Biomolecules: Design, Isolation, Synthesis (BioCIS – Univ. Paris-Saclay/CNRS) laboratory.

In 2012, a serendipitous discovery made at the Brain Institute (ICM) by Rita Raisman-Vozari, in collaboration with researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, showed that an antibiotic from the tetracycline family, doxycycline (used to treat certain skin conditions and bacterial infections), can protect vulnerable dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease. “As a chemist, I thought that if this compound lost its antibiotic properties, it could become a more promising candidate for clinical use in treating this disease,” explains Bruno Figadère.

The BioCIS team then created a modified tetracycline, derived from doxycycline and lacking antibiotic activity. In vivo tests were carried out on rats at the Brain Institute. Half of the rats’ brains had been altered to resemble those of a Parkinson’s patient using a toxin. “The neuroprotective properties of this compound were subsequently demonstrated in several preclinical models of Parkinson’s-like degeneration, notably thanks to our collaborators at the Brain Institute and the University of São Paulo. In particular, protection of vulnerable neurons was associated with improved motor performance in animals treated with our compound,” adds the researcher. Moreover, when the antibiotic was occasionally administered to people with Parkinson’s disease, they themselves observed an improvement in their condition and a reduction in their symptoms. It was to support this development that Bruno Figadère founded the start-up CicaNeuro in July 2025.

Towards a therapeutic treatment

The drug candidate being developed by CicaNeuro is intended to be therapeutic. “Given the in vitro effects, we believe that, once taken, our compound will stabilise the patient. If administered even before the first motor symptoms appear, the patient will not experience any negative effects of the disease. If we halt the degenerative process, non-functional neurons may become functional again, which will improve symptoms,” says Bruno Figadère. According to the founder, the molecule is said to have properties at least equal to, if not superior to, those of the antibiotic. New studies, particularly those using AI, show that people suffering from REM sleep disorders are at high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. “If we could identify these individuals and treat them with our compound, they would not develop the condition. By the time of diagnosis today, almost 50 per cent of dopaminergic neurons have already been lost,” explains the co-founder. For the time being, these results remain preliminary, and it will still take a great deal of time and financial resources to develop a medicine from them.

Widespread support

CicaNeuro is incubated at the Brain Institute in Paris. The scientific advisory board comprises biologists from the institute who contribute their insight into the pathology to help steer the drug candidate towards the most critical areas using biomarkers. “These biomarkers enable us to monitor the treatment and see if it is working. That is the most complex part of our work,” explains Bruno Figadère. The scientific advisory board also comprises chemists from Université Paris-Saclay. Since the project began, two patents have been published, in 2021 and 2023, relating to modified tetracyclines with pharmacological properties intended for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. CicaNeuro was a successful applicant in the CNRS’s Rise support programme call for projects and has secured funding from CNRS Innovation, the Brain Institute (NeurAL), Bpifrance, as well as the French Tech Lab Grant (BFT Lab), which has enabled it to raise funds.

Following an initial proof of concept in 2025, the teams have been drawing up a development plan for the preclinical phase, which will focus on toxicological studies in various animal species. They are also working on a formulation for human use to determine the highest dose that can be administered without causing side effects. “We are currently gathering preclinical and pre-regulatory data with a view to submitting an application to the ANSM [French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety] within two years,” adds the researcher.

A possible market launch in ten years’ time

Whilst it generally takes fifteen years for medicines to reach the market, that of CicaNeuro – developed from a known antibiotic – is expected to be launched more quickly. “The main challenges faced by drug candidates – particularly in terms of toxicity, crossing the blood-brain barrier or metabolism – have already been resolved for our compound. We do not expect any unpleasant surprises in this regard,” reassures Bruno Figadère. Therefore, despite a TRL (Technology Readiness Level) of 3–4, and if investment can be secured, the founder hopes to bring the product to market within ten years, i.e. by 2035. This is an unavoidable timeframe, necessary for studying chronic, slowly progressing diseases such as Parkinson’s.

An initial fundraising round, or “pre-seed”, is planned by the end of 2027 to support the production of clinical batches and the industrialisation of the process. Whilst the start-up currently produces 20 to 30 g of active ingredient, it will then scale up to one kilogram. To achieve this, it hopes to raise between 600,000 euros and several million euros from business angels. “The economic situation is complicated, but in Asia we are seeing a greater increase in funding than in Western countries. We hope that, despite the difficult circumstances, public health will remain protected and that we will secure funding to provide solutions for people with Parkinson’s, and even Alzheimer’s,” concludes the researcher.