Neurologix Inc, a biotech company engaged in gene therapy, reports that they have initiated a phase-II study with the GAD-gene within Parkinson's disease. The right to use the GAD-gene has been licensed from Diamyd.

"These are very positive news for Diamyd, and the fact that GAD can be used within additional therapeutic areas, not only within diabetes, predicts an exciting future for us. That GAD is also used for neurological disorders opens up for further new licensing possibilities," says Elisabeth Lindner, president and CEO at Diamyd.

Neurologix and Diamyd signed the license agreement in August 2006. It is a running agreement with milestone payments and royalty on sales.

Diamyd Medical is a Swedish biopharmaceutical company focusing on development of pharmaceuticals for treatment of autoimmune diabetes and its complications. The company's most advanced project is the GAD-based drug Diamyd for type 1 diabetes and for which phase-III trials have been initiated in both the US and Europe.