Following presentation of data from their Phase 1b/2a trial of ACI-35.030 at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference, the company AC Immune has announced further Phase 2 development of this novel therapeutic. ACI-35.030 is a liposome-based vaccine, which consists of several copies of phosphorylated tau proteins encapsulated in a lipid bilayer. It is thought to work by stimulating the body’s immune response against phosphorylated tau proteins, which build up in tau tangles within the brain during the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Following positive results in preclinical studies, AC Immune and Janssen Pharmaceuticals initiated their Phase 1b/2a trial of ACI-35.030 and a similar vaccine (JACI-35.054), which tested the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of increasing doses of the vaccines (compared to placebo) in participants with mild cognitive impairment due to AD, or mild AD.
The data from this trial was presented at CTAD by Johannes Streffer, Chief Medical Officer of AC Immune, who explained that participants receiving the vaccines exhibited a specific and sustained increase in antibodies against tau, with no clinical safety concerns observed. ACI-35.030 was identified as the more promising vaccine candidate, as there was more evidence of an immune response against the disease-associated forms of tau. As a result, the company announced the selection of ACI-35.030 for further development, in continued collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Read the AC Immune presss release, here:
