GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — X-tosis Receives Grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to Advance Novel Parkinson’s Disease Therapy. The ward supports advancement of X-tosis’s mitochondrial approach and accelerates development of its lead Parkinson’s candidate toward the clinic.
X-tosis, Inc., a precision-medicine biotechnology company founded in 2024 and dedicated to developing novel mitochondrial therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced it has been awarded a $2.74 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) through its Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program. The funding will support advancement of XTS001, the lead candidate from the company’s MitoXTS platform, a patented family of small-molecule inhibitors of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) oligomerization, toward clinical development for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The grant was awarded following a competitive peer-review process evaluating scientific innovation and translational potential.
The MJFF Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program accelerates promising PD therapies from preclinical to clinical stages by supporting innovative approaches that address core disease mechanisms.
XTS001 is a brain-penetrant, orally available small molecule designed to selectively inhibit VDAC1 oligomerization, a pathological process increasingly recognized as a central driver of mitochondrial failure, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss in PD. Preclinical studies in animal models of PD and AD across the MitoXTS platform have demonstrated reduced dopaminergic neuron loss, restoration of dopamine levels, and protection against key PD-associated pathologies through preservation of mitochondrial function and prevention of apoptosis triggered by cellular stressors.
“This grant from MJFF is a major milestone for X-tosis and represents a strong validation of our MitoXTS approach to addressing unmet needs in Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases,” said Yotam Nisemblat, Chief Scientific Officer of X-tosis and Principal Investigator on the project. “By preserving mitochondrial integrity upstream in the neurodegeneration cascade, we aim to shift treatment from symptomatic relief to targeting underlying disease biology. We are grateful for MJFF’s support to advance confirmatory studies, biomarker development, and IND-enabling work.”“This award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation is more than funding; it is support for further investigation of our scientific approach that mitochondrial dysfunction is a central addressable driver of Parkinson’s disease,” said Erin Henderson, CEO of X-tosis, Inc. “We believe XTS-001 represents a first-in-class opportunity to intervene upstream in the neurodegenerative cascade, potentially transforming the treatment paradigm from symptomatic management to targeting disease biology. With MJFF’s support, we are accelerating toward IND-enabling studies and positioning XTS001 as a potential therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease and beyond.”
X-tosis’s MitoXTSTM platform is built upon more than five decades of pioneering research by Professor Varda Shoshan-Barmatz, PhD, a global leader in mitochondrial biology and VDAC1 specifically. Her groundbreaking work established VDAC1 as a central regulator of mitochondrial function and apoptosis, with direct implications for neurodegenerative diseases. With over 225 publications, more than 14,000 citations, and multiple patents covering VDAC1-targeted therapeutics, her discoveries form the scientific foundation of X-tosis’s pipeline.
X-tosis plans to leverage the grant to achieve key development milestones and position XTS001 for clinical trials. If successful, this work could contribute to the development of therapies with the potential to slow disease progression and improve outcomes for millions worldwide. Beyond Parkinson’s disease, the MitoXTS platform is being advanced across multiple neurodegenerative indications, positioning X-tosis with a diversified pipeline of precision mitochondrial therapeutics.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease affects more than 10 million people globally and currently lacks approved disease-modifying therapies.
About X-tosis, Inc.
X-tosis, Inc. is a Gainesville, FL-based biotechnology company developing first-in-class mitochondrial therapeutics via the patented MitoXTS platform. By modulating VDAC1 oligomerization to restore mitochondrial health, reduce inflammation, and prevent neuronal death, X-tosis aims to transform treatment for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and related conditions. For more information, visit www.x-tosis.com.
Contact
CEO
Erin Henderson
X-tosis
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7318d428-4bce-420f-a8dc-7e4809aaa61f
