Arvinas Joins The Michael J. Fox Foundation's LITE and PPMI Programs to Advance New Therapies Targeting LRRK2 for Parkinson's Disease
NEW HAVEN, Conn., June 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arvinas, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARVN), a biotechnology company creating a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation, today announced it has recently joined the LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE) program and the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI), both supported by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF).
Participation in these programs will support advancement of ARV-102, Arvinas' investigational, orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant PROTAC designed to specifically target and degrade leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) for the potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
"Joining these important Michael J. Fox Foundation-supported initiatives further reinforces our commitment to advancing ARV-102 through rigorous translational science, collaborative data generation, and deep engagement with the broader Parkinson's disease research community," said Angela Cacace, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Arvinas. "We believe targeted protein degradation offers a highly differentiated approach to addressing neurodegenerative diseases, and participation in LITE and PPMI will help deepen our understanding of LRRK2 biology as we progress our ARV-102 program. We are honored to join these programs and look forward to contributing to research and the depth of target and pathway engagement that we hope will one day benefit patients in need."
"At The Michael J. Fox Foundation, we remain focused on accelerating the development of better treatments for people living with Parkinson's disease through collaborative, biology-driven research," said Shalini Padmanabhan, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Translational Research at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "Programs like LITE and PPMI are helping build the translational and biomarker infrastructure needed to better understand LRRK2 biology, support more precise therapeutic development, and advance the field toward more personalized approaches to Parkinson's disease."
The LITE program is a large-scale global initiative designed to support the development of therapeutic approaches targeting LRRK2, a key genetic and biological driver of Parkinson's disease and PSP. Through participation in LITE, Arvinas will collaborate with leading academic and industry experts and leverage shared preclinical and translational resources to further characterize ARV-102 and contribute to the broader understanding of LRRK2-targeted therapies.
PPMI is a study collaborating with global partners to create a robust open-access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and new treatment options for Parkinson's disease. By participating in PPMI, Arvinas aims to leverage collaborative research insights to inform translational and clinical strategies for ARV-102, including evaluation of target engagement and disease progression as the program advances in Parkinson's disease.
About Arvinas
Arvinas (NASDAQ:ARVN) is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Through its PROTAC (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera) protein degrader platform, Arvinas is pioneering the development of protein degradation therapies designed to harness the body's natural protein disposal system to selectively and efficiently degrade and remove disease-causing proteins. Arvinas, with its partner Pfizer, developed the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PROTAC, a type of heterobifunctional protein degrader.
Arvinas is currently progressing multiple investigational drugs through clinical development programs, including ARV-102, targeting LRRK2 for neurodegenerative disorders; ARV-806, targeting KRAS G12D for mutated cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers; ARV-393, targeting BCL6 for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; and ARV-027, targeting the polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor, or polyQ-AR, in skeletal muscle. Arvinas is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about Arvinas, visit www.arvinas.com and connect on LinkedIn and X.
About ARV-102
ARV-102 is an investigational, orally bioavailable PROTAC designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and specifically target and degrade leucine-rich repeat kinase (LRRK2), a large, multidomain scaffolding kinase with GTPase activity. Increased activity and over expression of LRRK2 have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, including LRRK2 genetic and idiopathic Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). ARV-102 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with Parkinson's disease and Arvinas plans to initiate a Phase 1b, and potentially a registrational Phase 2, clinical trial with ARV-102 in patients with PSP, pending regulatory feedback, in 2H 2026.
About the LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE) Program
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) launched the LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE) program in 2024 to accelerate the development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting LRRK2. Built on MJFF's commitment to open science, LITE brings together companies developing LRRK2-targeting therapies with a global network of academic, clinical, and industry experts and provides preclinical and translational resources to support drug development. The initiative is implemented by the University of Dundee and includes collaborations with programs supported by Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP), including the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI), and the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2). Learn more here.
About the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI)
The Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI) is an international, longitudinal research effort focused on advancing the understanding of Parkinson's disease across its clinical and biological spectrum. The study aggregates health, clinical, imaging, and molecular data from participants worldwide and makes these data available to qualified researchers through a centralized digital platform. With participation from more than 50 medical centers across 12 countries, PPMI supports collaborative research aimed at improving disease characterization, biomarker development, and the evaluation of emerging therapeutic approaches. Learn more here.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding: the potential of ARV-102, including its degradation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 ("LRRK2"), and its potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy ("PSP"); Arvinas' plans with respect to ARV-102, including its development and, pending regulatory feedback, the initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of ARV-102 in patients with PSP, and the initiation of a Phase 2 registrational clinical trial in patients with PSP, and the timings thereof; Arvinas' belief that targeted protein degradation offers a highly differentiated approach to addressing neurodegenerative diseases, and that participation in LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE) program and the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI) will help deepen Arvinas' understanding of LRRK2 biology as it progresses its ARV-102 program; and Arvinas' aims and goals by participating in the LITE and PPMI programs. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release, including statements regarding Arvinas' strategy, development plans, future operations, prospects, plans, and objectives of management and the statements identified in the prior paragraph, are forward-looking statements. The words "ability," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "target," "goal," "aim," "potential," "whether," "will," "would," "could," "reliance," "should," "look forward," "seek," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Arvinas may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements Arvinas makes as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: whether Arvinas will be able to successfully conduct and complete development for its product candidates, including ARV-102, on its current timelines or at all; risks related to clinical trial results and the interpretation thereof, including with respect to ARV-102; Arvinas' ability to protect its intellectual property portfolio; Arvinas' reliance on third parties; whether Arvinas will be able to raise capital when needed; whether Arvinas' cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund its foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; and other important factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Arvinas' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Arvinas' current views with respect to future events, and Arvinas assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Arvinas' views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.
Contacts
Investors:
Jeff Boyle
+1 (347) 247-5089
Jeff.Boyle@arvinas.com
Media:
Alyssa Kuciunas
+1 (331) 481-3751
Alyssa.Kuciunas-c@arvinas.com
