Discontinued aducanumab phase 3 studies
emphasize urgent need for therapies that target
the toxic oligomer with exacting precision
TORONTO and CAMBRIDGE, MA, March
21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (TSX:
PMN) (OTCQB: ARFXF), a biotechnology company focused on the
discovery and development of antibody therapeutics targeting toxic
oligomers implicated in the development of neurodegenerative
diseases, highlights the urgent need to selectively target the
toxic oligomer with exacting precision as part of the global effort
to develop disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease
(AD).
On March 20, Biogen and its
partner, Eisai, terminated two late-stage clinical trials of
aducanumab, which could have offered a disease-modifying therapy
for Alzheimer's disease. The termination of aducanumab phase 3
trials, along with the discontinuation of the crenezumab program by
Roche Holdings and partner AC Immune announced on January 30, underscores the urgent need for drug
candidates that are highly selective for the toxic oligomer form of
amyloid beta (Aβ). Aducanumab was not selective enough as it binds
mainly to the plaque form of Aβ. Likewise, crenezumab was not
selective for the toxic oligomer as it binds all forms of Aβ.
"These are the hard lessons of science, but there's hope.
Aducanumab was developed over a decade ago to go after plaque,
which we have since learned is the incorrect therapeutic target
because plaque is a largely non-toxic form of amyloid beta,"
explained Dr. James Kupiec, ProMIS
Chief Medical Officer. "Aducanumab wasted too much limited
ammunition on the wrong target, which also led to the dose limiting
side effect of brain swelling (edema). Unlike aducanumab,
ProMIS' lead antibody candidate for Alzheimer's, PMN310, reflects
key lessons learned, namely that the toxic oligomer of amyloid beta
is a root cause of AD, not plaque. PMN310 is the first antibody to
selectively target just the toxic oligomer, a misfolded, toxic form
of amyloid beta, offering a potential significant advantage over
aducanumab and other less selective antibodies in terms of both
efficacy and safety."
Responding to numerous studies showing the toxic oligomer, a
misfolded protein that derives from naturally occurring Aβ, as a
root cause of Alzheimer's disease, ProMIS Neurosciences has created
a novel, proprietary method for generating and developing
antibodies that can uniquely and precisely target this toxic
misfolded protein, filling a critical gap for drug developers.
Preclinical studies show the company's lead antibody candidate,
PMN310, demonstrates a high degree of binding to toxic oligomers
from Alzheimer's disease brains without binding to plaque or other
non-toxic forms of Aβ.
About ProMIS Neurosciences
ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. is a development stage biotechnology
company focused on discovering and developing antibody therapeutics
selectively targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development
and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular
Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and
Parkinson's disease (PD). The Company's proprietary target
discovery platform is based on the use of two complementary
thermodynamic, computational discovery engines - ProMIS and
Collective Coordinates – to predict novel targets known as Disease
Specific Epitopes on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins.
Using this unique precision approach, the Company is developing
novel antibody therapeutics for AD, ALS and PD. ProMIS is
headquartered in Toronto, Ontario,
with offices in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. ProMIS is listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange under the symbol PMN, and on the OTCQB Venture Market
under the symbol ARFXF.
Visit us at www.promisneurosciences.com or follow us
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forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current
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SOURCE ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.