For more than 20 years, Atuka has been providing preclinical services that expand the frontiers of Parkinson’s disease research, and helping to make new, life-changing therapeutics a reality.
Atuka provides its partners with the highest-quality studies and data, as interpreted by world-leading neuroscientists, to ensure results that are consistently predictive and translatable.
Atuka’s lead scientists are responsible for numerous breakthroughs that have helped shape the direction of research in the field over the past three decades. Collectively they have published more than 300 peer-reviewed, highly-cited papers, and individually possess h-indices ranging from 25 to 70.
therapeutics evaluated
candidates proceeding to clinical trial
peer-reviewed academic papers
pre-clinical models
DISCOVERY SERIES
Read the first entry in our new series on the latest research on emerging targets in Parkinson’s Disease
The Potential of D1 Dopamine Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators
WHITE PAPER
Strategies to optimize preclinical study design for therapeutic development and reduce translational risk.
In a hugely significant moment for Atuka, we have completed the move into our new offices and facilities in North America’s largest urban innovation hub, MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto. Last week, we took a moment to celebrate and enjoy our new surroundings, which include a wide view of…
Jon Brotchie reports back with highlights from the recent Neuroimmunology Drug Development Summit in Boston, in particular how TREM2 is emerging as one of the most promising new targets for Parkinson’s, both in terms of mechanism and the variety of approaches we have to potentially manipulate it.
The upside of integrating AI into the drug discovery process is potentially game-changing, though it’s also important to be clear-eyed and not get too caught up in the hype. Jon Brotchie reflects on AI’s potential benefits in drug development for Parkinson’s, from finding new and better molecules for novel un-imagined…
As Parkinson’s becomes the fastest-growing neurological disorder worldwide, its rising prevalence raises urgent questions about public health and economic impact. Could improved diagnosis, treatment, and life expectancy offer a hidden silver lining within the statistics?
MEET THE ATUKA TEAM
Senior lab technician Gregory Lops credits much of his early interest in science to his mother, who worked as an elementary school science teacher when she wasn’t a stay-at-home mom. “I always l…
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As a rec league basketball player—not to mention diehard Toronto Raptors fan— Andrea-Kaye Datu is the closest thing Atuka has to a point guard both on and off the court. Off the court, at Atuka, Andre…
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For many of Atuka’s partners, scientist Tielli Magnus M.Sc. is their first point of contact when initiating a preclinical study. “I work with the client to sort out and manage all of the details once …
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At Atuka’s facility in Suzhou, China, the team that Su Jin oversees as operations manager conducts both small and large scale non-human primate studies for our partners around the world. Born just an …
Read MoreSERVICES & CAPABILITIES
Expanding the frontiers of research into neurodegenerative disorders
While our roots are in Parkinson’s research, Atuka has developed extensive preclinical experience developing therapies for numerous other indications—including cognitive disorders, ALS and other movement disorders such as dystonia and dyskinesia—across multiple modalities, such as biologics (including gene therapy) and small molecules.
Redefining innovation
Atuka is unique among contract research organizations. Not only do we provide our partners with industry-leading expertise in preclinical trial design and interpretation, but we are committed to ongoing scientific discovery in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders through an extensive internal research program, while actively contributing to and engaging with the scientific literature.
Our sites and facilities
Our partners benefit from globally-recognized scientists using advanced technologies at leading-edge research and lab facilities in Canada and China.
Atuka is a world expert in NHP research and has the capacity to conduct both small and large studies that use up to 150 macaques at our newly renovated, AAALAC-accredited facility in Suzhou, China. We are able to perform studies no other CRO can, while adhering to the highest standards of animal welfare.
With a depth of preclinical experience unparalleled in our field globally, Atuka has collaborated with over 90 organizations, including large pharmaceutical and biotech companies, charitable foundations, universities, and government agencies.
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