Preclinical data confirm the unique specificity and disease-modifying potential of Alzinova’s monoclonal antibody, ALZ-201
Alzinova AB (publ) (FN STO: ALZ), a Swedish biopharma company developing treatments of Alzheimer’s disease by specifically targeting neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers, today announces that a research project evaluating Alzinova’s monoclonal antibody, ALZ-201, has been successfully completed in collaboration with Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Data from the project confirm the unique specificity and preclinical efficacy of ALZ-201 and the related clinical-stage vaccine ALZ-101.
The collaborative project evaluated Alzinova’s monoclonal antibody, ALZ-201, as a potential novel therapy to specifically target toxic forms of the Aβ peptide, and thus prevent its neurotoxic effect on neurons. Aggregation of the Aβ peptide in the brain is widely recognized as a main driver of Alzheimer’s disease.
To assess its potential efficacy, ALZ-201 was evaluated on true toxic Aβ aggregates derived from deceased Alzheimer’s patients. The results demonstrated that ALZ-201 was able to effectively neutralise the toxicity of the brain extracts by only targeting specific oligomers of all Aβ present in the extracts.
As such, the study provides further evidence that, in Alzheimer’s disease, soluble aggregates of the Aβ42 peptide (collectively known as oligomers) are indeed the toxic species. It demonstrates that both ALZ-201 and the related therapeutic vaccine, ALZ-101, are novel immunotherapies with very specific and targeted effects, which could translate to more favorable clinical profiles compared to other Aβ targeting immunotherapies.
The study was conducted in the context of a research collaboration together with Amsterdam University Medical Centers, a leading medical center providing extensive clinical and pre-clinical expertise within neurodegenerative disorders.
The project partners are now considering further joint projects to increase the understanding of how Alzinova’s proprietary AβCC peptide™ technology affects the disease process with the aim to speed up the development of new Aβ-targeting therapies.
Dr. Anders Sandberg, Chief Scientific Officer at Alzinova AB, says, “The monoclonal antibody ALZ-201, which specifically targets a subset of Aβ oligomers, effectively neutralises the neurotoxic effect of Aβ derived from actual patients. These data confirm that ALZ-201 is specific for a low-abundant, but very toxic form of the Aβ peptide, and that it has a binding profile that differs from other known antibodies in the field. The specificity may be a critical attribute for achieving a true specific therapeutic effect with favourable tolerability in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Dr. Wiep Scheper, Associate Professor and Team Leader Molecular Neurodegeneration at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, and the principal investigator of the team in Amsterdam, comments,” The ameliorative effect of ALZ-201 on Aβ-induced toxicity in cultured neurons is impressive. It is a promising lead to further develop because it only targets an extremely toxic Aβ species that may already arise in the earliest stages of the pathogenesis. We are excited to further collaborate with Alzinova on the development of this innovative Aβ-targeting therapeutic strategy”.
In the second quarter of this year, Alzinova initiated studies to humanize the antibody ALZ-201. The aim is to broaden Alzinova’s scope of activities and develop ALZ-201 within Alzinova’s portfolio of disease modifying therapies.
For more information, please contact:
Kristina Torfgård, CEO
Tel. +46 708 46 79 75
E-mail: kristina.torfgard@alzinova.com
The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08:01 a.m. CET on December 15, 2021.
About ALZ-201
ALZ-201 is a monoclonal antibody developed to specifically target toxic soluble forms of amyloid-β42 – the main driver of Alzheimer’s disease. It lacks affinity for monomers and fibrils, including plaques, and all forms of the much less toxic amyloid-β40 peptide. Despite its unique binding profile, it has a profound effect on the toxicity of brain extracts derived from deceased Alzheimer’s patients. By specifically targeting the toxic form of the amyloid-β peptide, a higher target engagement across the blood brain barrier is expected compared to other amyloid-targeting antibodies, potentially resulting in a therapy that is best-in-class within this class of therapeutics. ALZ-201 is in early preclinical development and its binding specificity is similar to the related clinical stage vaccine, ALZ-101.
About Alzinova AB
Alzinova AB is a Swedish clinical-stage biopharma company specializing in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease targeting neurotoxic amyloid-β oligomers. The lead candidate, ALZ-101, is being developed as a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Alzinova’s proprietary AβCC peptide™ technology enables the development of disease-modifying therapies that target the toxic amyloid-β oligomers involved in the onset and progression of the disease with high precision. Alzheimer’s is one of the most common and devastating neurological diseases globally, with of the order of 40 million people afflicted today. In addition, the antibody ALZ-201 is in early preclinical development, and the ambition is to expand the pipeline further. The company’s Certified Advisor on Nasdaq First North Growth Market is Corpura, info@corpura.se +46 768-532 822. For more information about Alzinova, please visit: www.alzinova.com