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High impact News 🇺🇸 FDA Parkinson's disease FDA

Companies: Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

Drugs: HBI-002, carbon monoxide

AnalystsStrategyBd Teams

Hillhurst Bio doses first subject in Phase 2a HBI-002 Parkinson's trial

100% citation coverage1 regulatory sources

Dr. Sarah Mitchell PharmD, RPh · Senior FDA Regulatory Correspondent
Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Chen Pharmaceutical Sciences Editor

Intelligence Snapshot

Impact Score 80/100 High significance
Regulatory Impact 60/100 Moderate agency relevance
Market Impact 60/100 Moderate commercial pull
Clinical Relevance 68/100 Moderate clinical weight
Evidence Strength 93/100 Critical source quality
Confidence Score 89/100 High certainty
Reading Time 5 min Executive read
Relevant for Competitive Intelligence Corporate Strategy Pharma BD Regulatory Affairs Investors

Executive Summary

Hillhurst Bio has initiated a Phase 2a clinical trial for HBI-002 in patients with Parkinson's disease , with the first subject now dosed.

Key Insights

  1. HBI-002 is an oral low-dose carbon monoxide therapeutic candidate .
  2. The Phase 2a trial is currently recruiting and will assess safety, tolerability,…

    The Phase 2a trial is currently recruiting and will assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers across multiple centers.

  3. Hillhurst is also developing HBI-002 in a Phase 1/2 study for sickle cell disease .

Market Impact

Regulatory medium
Commercial medium
Competitive high
Investment medium

Hillhurst Bio doses first subject in a Phase 2a clinical trial of HBI-002 for Parkinson's disease. The study is recruiting and is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple-dose trial evaluating safety, tolerability, and biomarkers in patients with the neurodegenerative condition.

Drug HBI-002 Track updates
Drug carbon monoxide Track updates
Pipeline CO-338-087 R&D program
Pipeline Rucaparib R&D program
Company pharmaand GmbH Pipeline & news
Company Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Search coverage

Quick Answer

Key Questions

  • What is HBI-002?
  • What indications is HBI-002 being studied for?
  • What is the trial design for the Parkinson's study?
  • What is the scientific basis for studying carbon monoxide in Parkinson's disease?
  • Has HBI-002 been tested before?

Executive Scorecard

Heuristic scores · directional, not investment advice
Regulatory Readiness 60
Commercial Opportunity 60
Competitive Threat 82
Clinical Significance 64
Evidence Strength 93

Regulatory catalyst tracker

Track PDUFA dates, approval milestones, and label updates for HBI-002.

  • Jul 12, 2026 — PDUFA target
  • Priority Review — designation
  • Oncology — therapeutic area
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Contents9 sections

Hillhurst Bio Doses First Subject in Phase 2a HBI-002 Parkinson's Trial

Key Takeaways

IntelligenceRegulatory Impact

FDA decisions frame this story. Regulatory relevance is medium for Parkinson's disease, with HBI-002 and carbon monoxide most exposed. Track designations, submission types, and label or guidance shifts that could move timelines.

The Development

Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has advanced HBI-002 into a Phase 2a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple-dose study in Parkinson's disease. The trial, registered as NCT07005180 on ClinicalTrials.gov, has now dosed its first subject and remains in recruiting status.

The study is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers in Parkinson's disease patients. Research suggests that low doses of carbon monoxide may protect against neuronal cell loss in Parkinson's disease, providing the scientific rationale for the trial.

The company previously completed a Phase 1 trial assessing the safety and pharmacokinetics of HBI-002 in healthy volunteers. That earlier study established foundational safety data for the program.

IntelligenceCompetitive Intelligence

Competitive pressure is high. Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals Inc. reshape positioning, formulary leverage, and partnership options. Benchmark pipeline differentiation and regional market access assumptions against this development.

Parallel Development in Sickle Cell Disease

Beyond the Parkinson's program, Hillhurst is evaluating HBI-002 in a Phase 1/2 trial for sickle cell disease, which is also currently recruiting. The company has also filed HBI-002 for evaluation of its potential to prevent vaso-occlusive crises in patients with sickle cell disease.

These two active programs represent the extent of HBI-002 development disclosed in the current trial registry. No other indications or development stages are confirmed in available sources.

IntelligenceMarket Signals

Commercial pull is medium and investment relevance medium for Parkinson's disease. Expect implications for pricing, access, and launch sequencing.

What the Evidence Confirms

The trial registry and supporting sources confirm four core facts about HBI-002 and its development status. First, HBI-002 is an oral low-dose carbon monoxide therapeutic candidate. Second, the Parkinson's trial (NCT07005180) is in Phase 2a and recruiting. Third, a separate Phase 1/2 study in sickle cell disease is also recruiting. Fourth, the scientific premise linking low-dose carbon monoxide to neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease is documented in the trial rationale.

The sources do not confirm approval status, sales projections, enrollment targets, specific biomarker endpoints, or comparative efficacy data. No timeline for Phase 2a completion or advancement decisions has been disclosed.

IntelligenceStrategic Takeaways

Hillhurst Bio has initiated a Phase 2a clinical trial for HBI-002 in patients with Parkinson's disease , with the first subject now dosed. HBI-002 is an oral low-dose carbon monoxide therapeutic candidate . The Phase 2a trial is currently recruiting and will assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers across multiple centers.

Trial Snapshot

TrialTitleStatusPhaseSponsor
NCT07005180Low-dose Carbon Monoxide (HBI-002) Trial to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability, PK, and Biomarkers in Parkinson's DiseaseRECRUITINGPHASE2Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
NCT06144749A Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetic (PK) Study of HBI-002, an Oral Carbon Monoxide (CO) Therapeutic, in Subjects With Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)RECRUITINGPHASE1, PHASE2Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
NCT03926819A Study to Assess the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of HBI-002, an Oral Carbon Monoxide Therapeutic, in Healthy VolunteersCOMPLETEDPHASE1Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
NCT05415761Comparative Effectiveness of Mobile Health Smoking Cessation Approaches Among Underserved Patients in Primary CareRECRUITINGNAUniversity of Florida
NCT05480904Characterizing Sleep Among Long-term Survivors of Childhood CancerACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
IntelligenceEvidence Quality

Grounded in 1 regulatory source.

Competitor Matrix

Company / ProgramIndicationActive trials
Fasikl Inc.Parkinson's disease1
Annovis Bio Inc.Parkinson's disease1
Rennes University HospitalParkinson's disease1
Medical University of South CarolinaParkinson's disease1
Energenesis Biomedical Co., Ltd.Parkinson's disease1
McMaster UniversityParkinson's disease1

Timeline

  • Recruiting trial NCT07005180 (PHASE2)
  • Recruiting trial NCT06144749 (PHASE1, PHASE2)
  • Recruiting trial NCT05415761 (NA)
  • Active_Not_Recruiting trial NCT05480904 (phase n/a)
  • Recruiting trial NCT06601998 (phase n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HBI-002?

HBI-002 is an oral low-dose carbon monoxide therapeutic candidate being developed by Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

What indications is HBI-002 being studied for?

HBI-002 is currently in clinical development for two indications. A Phase 2a trial is evaluating HBI-002 in Parkinson's disease, and a Phase 1/2 trial is assessing its use in sickle cell disease.

What is the trial design for the Parkinson's study?

The Phase 2a trial is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple-dose study designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers. The trial is registered as NCT07005180 and is actively recruiting participants.

What is the scientific basis for studying carbon monoxide in Parkinson's disease?

Research suggests that low doses of carbon monoxide may protect against neuronal cell loss in Parkinson's disease. This premise forms the rationale documented in the trial registry.

Has HBI-002 been tested before?

Yes. A Phase 1 trial assessing the safety and pharmacokinetics of HBI-002 in healthy volunteers has been completed.

What happens next with the Parkinson's trial?

The Phase 2a trial is actively recruiting. No completion date, enrollment target, or interim analysis timeline has been disclosed in the trial registry or supporting sources.

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Evidence & Review
Sources analyzed
1
Evidence strength
93/100
Last verified
Jun 15, 2026
AI-assisted review
Yes
Editorial review
Dr. Sarah Chen

Critical source quality · grounded in cited primary and secondary sources.

Sources & references 1 primary sources
  1. lelezard.com

Sources verified at publication. See our editorial policy and data sources.

This article follows our editorial standards. Report a correction via editorial contact.

HBI-002 drug — Hillhurst Bio doses first subject in Phase 2a HBI-002 Parkinson's trial