AstronauTx Receives Funding to Explore Sleep-Based Parkinson's Treatment
News related to:AstronauTx Ltd · 1 min read
LONDON, Sept. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- AstronauTx Ltd, a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for neurological diseases by improving sleep architecture, has received significant funding to explore sleep-based approaches for Parkinson's disease. The company has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and is also receiving support from Parkinson's UK in collaboration with University College London (UCL).
The MJFF grant, part of the Foundation’s Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program, will support AstronauTx's research into whether enhancing restorative sleep mechanisms can reduce the accumulation of pathological proteins linked to Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, the company aims to generate data supporting the development of one of its compounds as a potential disease-modifying treatment for prodromal Parkinson’s disease, where there may be a significant opportunity to influence disease progression. REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD) is recognized as an early indicator of Parkinson's disease, and AstronauTx's research will focus on this stage.
In parallel, Parkinson's UK is funding a complementary project with UCL. This study will investigate whether increasing slow-wave sleep can enhance the brain's natural waste-clearance pathways. The research will evaluate whether a novel sleep-enhancing compound that increases slow-wave activity and enhances glymphatic flow results in the removal of the neurotoxic protein alpha-synuclein from the brain.
AstronauTx's broader mission is to develop therapeutics targeting sleep architecture to treat neurological disease. The company's lead programme is set for clinical development in 2027, further advancing its pipeline of first-in-class therapies targeting sleep architecture as a novel treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurological conditions.
The company has a strong financial backing, having completed a £48 million/$61 million Series A financing in October 2023, led by the Novartis Venture Fund, with participation from the Dementia Discovery Fund, MPM BioImpact, Brandon Capital, EQT Life Sciences, and Bristol Myers Squibb. This funding will support AstronauTx's ongoing research and development efforts.