AltPep Corporation has presented new preclinical data on its lead compound, Soluble Oligomer Binding Inhibitor (SOBIN-AD), as a treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).  

The preclinical data show SOBIN-AD: 

  • Binds amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers 27,000-fold stronger than protofibrils 
  • Enhances microglial phagocytosis of toxic Aβ oligomers in a dose-dependent manner 
  • Significantly improves short-term memory in nine-month old Tg2576 AD mice after six months of dosing, 3X/week intranasally 
  • Significantly reduces AB plaque burden in 15-month-old AD mice after 12 months of dosing, 3X/week intranasally 

“We are thrilled to showcase these exciting preclinical results for our SOBIN-AD therapeutic,” said Valerie Daggett, CEO and Founder of AltPep. “Our compound is based on the discovery that toxic oligomers, early triggers for amyloid diseases such as AD, form a nonstandard protein structure called α-sheet. We have now demonstrated that SOBIN-AD not only selectively targets the α-sheet toxic oligomers but also enhances clearance of these toxic oligomers.” 

AltPep’s synthetic peptides are designed to bind selectively to toxic oligomers to both detect and neutralise them throughout disease progression. 

The company’s lead programmes focus on AD and Parkinson’s diseases, with other amyloid diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, on the horizon. 

Its technology is based on decades of scientific research by the Daggett Research Group at the University of Washington. 

Carolyn Tallon, Principal Scientist, who presented the AltPep data at AAIC, added: “Importantly, we showed that SOBIN-AD treatment improved short-term memory and reduced plaque burden in Tg AD mice, after six and 12 months of dosing, respectively. These exciting data mark a major milestone for SOBIN-AD and bring hope for early treatment of AD.”

Diana Turner, Senior Digital Content Editor, DDW