SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elixiron Immunotherapeutics, a clinical stage drug development company announced today that it has received a new grant from the Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud program to accelerate the application of EI-1071, a novel orally-administered immunomodulatory therapy for people with Alzheimer's disease. This follows the successful completion of a first-in-human phase 1 study that was also made possible in part thanks to an earlier Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud-Bill Gates Partnership program grant.
"It is an honor to have won this highly-competitive award from the Alzheimer's Association and the recognition that regulating microglia, the brain's immune cells, is a promising therapeutic approach to treat Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Hung-Kai Chen, Elixiron's Chief Executive Officer, who is also the Principal Investigator for the grant. "This is an important milestone for us, concluding years of work on our innovative therapeutic development, including testing in animals and healthy human subjects."
Elixiron's EI-1071 aims to inhibit microglia-mediated neuroinflammation to protect against neuronal damage — activated microglia secrete inflammatory cytokines that damage neurons and exacerbate Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies. The new phase 2 trial will provide the first assessment of EI-1071 in AD patients with PET imaging using a tracer as a method to monitor neuroinflammation, which is anticipated to be reduced by EI-1071.
"The phase 1 trial established that EI-1071 was relatively safe, and we anticipate initiating the phase 2 trial with AD patients in early 2023," said Carrie Duan, Executive Vice President of Clinical Development. "If successful, this trial will support the advancement of a large-scale trial to see if EI-1071 can halt disease progression, to maintain cognitive function."
"Part the Cloud prides itself on diversifying the Alzheimer's therapeutic pipeline by funding novel and innovative ideas, so it's exciting when we see those therapies — such as EI-1071 — show promise in early-stage clinical trials," said Heather Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association vice president of medical and scientific relations. "Through a second grant, the Alzheimer's Association is excited to propel this treatment avenue into a phase 2 study, and we look forward to the results of that trial."
About Elixiron Immunotherapeutics
Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is driven by an international team with a shared vision to produce next-generation immunotherapies for unmet needs in immunological and degenerative diseases. Besides EI-1071, Elixiron has an interferon-gamma-neutralizing antibody currently in a phase 1 trial that is being developed for the treatment of vitiligo and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and several other earlier-stage candidates. For more information, visit elixiron.com and follow the company on Linkedin.
About the Alzheimer's Association® and Part the Cloud
The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900. To learn more about the Part the Cloud program, visit alz.org/partthecloud.
Contact:
Janie Chu
Email: media@elixiron.com
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