Children’s Mercy announced on Mar. 19 an exclusive license agreement with Vima Therapeutics to commercialize VIM0423, a new oral therapeutic in development for people living with dystonia and Parkinson’s disease.
The agreement is significant because it aims to address the lack of effective treatments for dystonia, a condition that affects up to one million people in the United States and causes painful, involuntary muscle contractions. Current therapies often do not target the root cause of the disease and can have serious side effects.
Steven Leeder, PharmD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Children’s Mercy Research Institute and co-inventor of the therapeutic, said, “Our commitment to research is rooted in one goal—improving lives. This agreement accelerates innovation from the lab to the bedside, turning discovery into care. It’s more than a licensing deal; it’s a testament to what’s possible when innovation and compassion come together.”
VIM0423 is designed to selectively target muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the brain. While targeting these receptors has been shown as an effective mechanism in movement disorders, existing approaches are limited by tolerability issues. The new therapy aims to maximize both efficacy and tolerability for all dystonia patients. Rose Gelineau-Morel, MD, Division of Neurology at Children’s Mercy who leads the research team behind this discovery, said, “This research represents a breakthrough in how we approach movement disorders. By developing therapeutics for these movement disorders, we have the potential to transform the standard of care—improving treatment efficacy and reducing side effects for patients who need better options.”
VIM0423 has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for isolated dystonia and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The license agreement also highlights growth within Children’s Mercy’s technology transfer program over recent years.
Aswini Betha, PhD, CLP, Senior Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization at Children’s Mercy said, “Building on a strong foundation, this milestone reflects our commitment to turning ideas into impact and creating solutions that bring hope to patients and families everywhere.” Rob Steele, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Children’s Mercy added: “This collaboration reflects how we turn bold ideas into real solutions accelerating the journey from discovery to care, proving that when science and compassion unite, the future of medicine changes for the better.”
Research exploring use in pediatric dystonia has received funding from Children’s Mercy Research Partners. In its first five years, this group contributed more than $2.29 million supporting 19 research projects and nine patent applications at Children’s Mercy.
Further information about VIM0423 can be found on Stride Dystonia or clinicaltrials.gov (NCT07304089).
