Researchers have begun recruiting volunteers for the phase 1B clinical trial of the new Alzheimer’s vaccine, ALZ-101.
The Swedish biopharma company, Alzinova AB has developed an Alzheimer’s vaccine that directly targets amyloid-beta oligomers within patients. These neurotoxic proteins can exist in people up to 20 years before disease development and initiate Alzheimer’s. Moreover, they block brain signalling; thus, bringing about cognitive decline and other symptoms of the disease. The antibodies in the new vaccine, ALZ-101, can specifically attack these proteins and hence prevent disease development. In a recent press release, the company announced that it has recruited the first patient for the phase 1B clinical trial of the vaccine.
It is very satisfying that ALZ-101 has now entered clinical testing in an area with such a huge unmet medical need. We are looking forward to continuing the development of this potential disease-modifying treatment with the long-term goal to treat and prevent the onset and progression of this devastating disease.
Kristina Torfgård, CEO of Alzinova AB
The Phase1B clinical trial will evaluate the Alzheimer’s vaccine’s safety and tolerability. The placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study will include a total of 26 patients. Each patient will receive four doses of either the vaccine or a placebo, over a period of 20 weeks. The trial aims to further investigate two different dose strengths of the vaccine. Along with investigating the immune response to the vaccine, researchers also plan to look at various Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers.
Data from the trial is expected by the second half of 2023.
More Vaccines in the Works
Notably, ALZ-101 is not the only Alzheimer’s vaccine undergoing trials. The biotechnology company, Axon Neuroscience, has also been working on an effective vaccine for the disease. Their vaccine, called AADvac1, targets neurofibrillary tangles (NfTs) within the brain and slows disease progression. The team at Axon recently completed phase II trials for the vaccine which included almost 200 participants. According to the results, the vaccine reduced blood NfTs by 58% and slowed disease progression by 27%.
Despite the promising results, further long-term trials are required to evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy.
Source: Alzinova AB
