Alzheimer’s

Biotechnology company bit.bio has launched a range of immune cells to provide researchers with a consistently functional and rapid human in vitro model for the study of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.  The company’s ioMicroglia cell range is designed to recapitulate key human microglia functions and as such, can mediate inflammatory responses, dispose of unwanted materials, […]

DDW’s Megan Thomas looks at how different diseases will benefit from the success of therapeutic antibodies. Cancer Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a type of targeted drug therapy, and as such are often used to treat cancer. Alongside surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, antibody-based immunotherapy is considered to be a main component of cancer therapy1. This is […]

A new blood test has been shown to identify biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, providing an early warning of cognitive decline. Early results from PharmaKure, a pharmaceutical company spun out from The University of Manchester, UK, shows a novel whole blood test (ALZmetrix) developed by the company can quantify Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. The test may enable […]

University College London (UCL) spinout AstronauTx has closed a £48m ($61m) Series A financing to develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. The company was launched in 2019, initially to build on research from the Alzheimer’s Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute (UCL DDI). Protoplasmic astrocytes play an active role in neuronal […]

AI-driven drug discovery company Insilico Medicine and the University of Cambridge have discovered an approach to identify therapeutic targets for human diseases associated with protein phase separation (PPS). In this study, the researchers combined Insilico’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven target identification engine PandaOmics with the FuzDrop method for predicting protein separation to identify PPS-prone disease-associated proteins. […]

A research team from VIB-KU Leuven and the UK Dementia Research Institute has discovered how neurons die in Alzheimer’s disease, opening new pathways for potential future treatments.  A new research paper published in Science illustrates how neurons initiate a programmed form of cell death, known as necroptosis, when they are exposed to amyloid plaques and […]

Researchers have discovered a new avenue of cell death in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. A new study, led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), has revealed that a form of cell death known as ferroptosis – caused by a build-up of iron in cells – destroys microglia cells, a type of […]

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates.  The headline news this week reflects the high level of interest and investment in neuroscience drug discovery, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s; including […]

News round-up for 21-25 August by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer. The headline news this week reflects the high level of interest and investment in neuroscience drug discovery, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s; including positive clinical trial results for new immunotherapy and biotherapeutic candidates, and hopes that existing medications could slow the progression of […]

A new study at UTHealth Houston in the US has found that several routine vaccinations are linked to a significant reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing […]

The Phase I clinical trial of VENT-02, an oral, brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor from Ventus Therapeutics, has launched with the dosing of the first patient. Based on the safety margins demonstrated in IND-enabling studies, the Phase I trial is designed to fully explore VENT-02’s pharmacodynamics, safety, and tolerability across a broad range of single and multiple […]

A new immunotherapy candidate has demonstrated a trend for slowing cognitive decline in mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), potentially offering a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to other immunotherapies. Vaxxinity published the Phase IIa clinical trial data in The Lancet’s eBioMedicine (Volume 94, 104665, August 2023), stating that UB-311 was safe and well-tolerated. UB-311 is a […]

Medications containing semaglutide such as Ozempic, licensed for diabetes, and Wegovy, for weight loss, are being studied to see if they can treat a range of different conditions, including addiction and dementia. Semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk reported earlier this month that the drug reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults […]

Preclinical data has demonstrated that the oral small molecule OLX-07010 inhibits tau aggregation in a model for inherited tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Earlier this year, the company Oligomerix announced the first-in-human dosing of OLX-07010 in a Phase Ia clinical trial. “While there has been significant progress in the […]

Biogen has revealed an agreement to acquire Reata Pharmaceuticals for approximately $7.3 billion. The news follows an announcement by the company last week that it would cut around 1,000 jobs, or 11% of its workforce, to allow investment into its product pipeline. In its second quarter results, the company said its new ‘Fit for Growth’ […]

Eli Lilly has announced positive results of the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 Phase III study showing that donanemab significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.   Donanemab met the primary endpoint of change from baseline until 18 months on the integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale (iADRS). The primary endpoint of iADRS […]