ADvantage Therapeutics Commences Enrollment for Phase 2b Clinical Trial  for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced the first patient enrolled in the company’s European Phase 2b clinical trial on its lead candidate AD04 for the treatment of mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aims to confirm proof-of-concept and establish the safety and efficacy of AD04 in patients with mild AD. The first patient was enrolled at Institut Neuromed, Korneuburg, Austria. The study is authorized to be conducted in Austria, France, Poland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, and is expected to expand to Germany and the UK in the coming months.

Dr. Andreas Winkler, MSc., principal investigator at Institut Neuromed, said “AD represents a significant global problem as the adult population is aging which further challenges our ability to care for those who suffer from this terrible, progressive disease. AD04 represents a significant departure from approaches seen to date and one that may change our understanding of how to manage it as well as the disease itself. We look forward to continuing to participate in the trial to help contribute to its development.”

The primary endpoint of the 12-month study is to be a composite score integrating ADAScog, ADCS-ADL and CDR-sb (at 6 months). Other measured outcomes include hippocampal volume, CDR-sb, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), the Alzheimer’s disease Assessment scale – cognition 13-item scale (ADAScog13), the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study – Activities of Daily Living Standards (ADCS-ADL), and the patient Quality-of-Life-Alzheimer’s disease.

In a previous study, a 2-mg dose of AD04 used in a control arm exhibited a statistically significantly slower decline in cognitive and quality of life measures compared to other arms of that trial. The AD04 control group also showed slower decline in MRI-measured hippocampal volume as a biomarker of AD progression. Preclinical studies have indicated that AD04 decreased the number of inflammatory microglial cells in the hippocampus of mouse models. Inflammation and increase of microglial cells are pathological immunological events observed in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.

Achim Schneeberger, MD, Chief Medical Officer of ADvantage, added “Inclusion of this first patient follows many years and many dedicated professionals collaborating toward the common goal of better treating Alzheimer’s disease. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the European regulatory agencies and the clinical sites to populate this important trial.”

Recently, the Company received an Innovation Passport for the treatment of AD under the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) for AD04 in the UK. This allows for close collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I). In addition, patients are considered key partners, and the patient voice is integrated at every development stage. ILAP incorporates the concepts of innovation and patient need according to the MHRA.

“It is gratifying to achieve this milestone after months of labor by an extremely dedicated team of professionals. We intend to create medicines that will help prolong lives but also improve their quality. We look forward to providing updates on the progress of this potentially landmark trial,” added Jeffrey Madden, ADvantage Therapeutics CEO.

ADvantage Therapeutics is developing AD04 as a novel immunotherapy for mild Alzheimer’s Disease. The compound has been used as an adjuvant in human and animal vaccination programs. In a previous trial, AD04 serving as a control against another compound appeared to demonstrate statistically significantly slower decline over other treatment groups in cognitive and quality life clinical measures. AD04 also showed slower decline in hippocampal volume as a biomarker.

The company believes that rather than being limited to a specific aspect of AD pathology, such as amyloid beta or tau, AD04™ may address immunological mechanisms in the brain. The company believes AD04 may function as an immunomodulator, stimulating and/or regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology.

About 44 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in industrialized countries. In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated the total worldwide cost of dementia at $1.3 trillion and expects this cost to rise to $2 trillion by. The socio-economic burden of Alzheimer’s Disease is enormous. AD devastates the lives of patients and their families. They lose their memories and independence, and the loss of a loved relation leaves behind guilt, grief, and anger. Alzheimer’s Disease is a high unmet medical need as there are currently no disease-modifying drugs approved worldwide. The availability of a safe, effective, affordable drug would transform the life of an AD patient from accepting a debilitating disease to the retention of personality, independence, and dignity.

Headquartered in the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, ADvantage Therapeutics is developing therapies to treat neurodegenerative conditions with a central focus on AD. The company’s lead compound AD04 is an injectable therapy in the process of entering into a confirmatory Phase 2b clinical trials in Europe to evaluate safety and efficacy of the product in mild AD. The company believes AD04 may function as an immunomodulator, stimulating and regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology, rather than limiting therapy to the aggregation of the proteins present once pathology is present. The company is also exploring additional approaches to mitigating neurodegenerative disease, which it believes will eventually have an overall impact on longevity. ADvantage Therapeutics is dedicated to advancing the science of neurodegenerative diseases and committed to developing innovative therapies that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. For more information, visit www.advantagetherapeutics.com.