MIAMI, Oct. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a transformative move bolstering its position in the realm of neurodegenerative therapies and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the appointment of Carmela R. Abraham, Ph.D. as its Chief Science Officer. Dr. Abraham, a luminary in the fields of AD and aging, will complement ADvantage’s efforts to extend healthspan by delivering proprietary klotho-encoding mRNA. As part of this development, ADvantage Therapeutics has acquired important intellectual property assets including four patent applications from Klogenix, which Dr. Abraham co-founded with Menachem Abraham.
"Dr. Abraham is an internationally recognized authority in AD research, and we eagerly anticipate the invaluable contributions she will make to our development programs and strategic direction as we continue to explore the rejuvenation potential of klotho,” said Jeffrey Madden, ADvantage’s Chief Executive Officer. “The assets from Klogenix will further empower our research. On behalf of our management team and board of directors, I extend a warm welcome to her."
Dr. Abraham has dedicated her career to unraveling the intricacies of aging and Alzheimer’s disease. She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from Tel Aviv University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard and is Professor Emerita of Biochemistry and Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Abraham's research has been instrumental in identifying the neuroprotective, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties of the klotho protein, a rejuvenating protein whose serum levels decline with age. Her groundbreaking work has shown that elevating klotho levels can enhance outcomes in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and ALS.
During 43 years studying normal aging and Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Abraham has concentrated on identifying disease-modifying pharmaceutical interventions that can prevent or alleviate the symptoms of AD and other age-related conditions, such as cancer and kidney disease. Prior to joining ADvantage, she co-founded Klogenix. Dr. Abraham was the first Rappaport fellow at the Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and received prestigious awards, including the Zenith and Temple awards from the Alzheimer’s Association. Her groundbreaking research has received support from organizations such as the NIH, the Alzheimer’s Association, Boston University’s Ignition Award, the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium Award, the Cure AD Fund, and Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
“Through ADvantage Therapeutics’s pioneering compound AD04, and our exploration of the klotho protein's applications, we are at the forefront of redefining approaches to combat Alzheimer’s disease and the aging process,” said Dr. Abraham. “Having dedicated my career to these goals, I am delighted to join the team and address some of the most complex challenges that affect the human body and mind. I eagerly anticipate our collaborative journey ahead."
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 on ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc., please visit www.advantagetherapeutics.com
About AD04™
ADvantage is developing AD04™ as a novel immunomodulator for mild AD. The compound has been used as an adjuvant in human and animal vaccination programs. Serving as a control against another compound in a previous trial, AD04™appeared to demonstrate statistically significant slower decline over other treatment groups in cognitive and quality of life clinical measures in Alzheimer’s patients. Treatment with AD04™ also showed slower decline in hippocampal volume as a biomarker.
ADvantage believes that rather than being limited to a specific aspect of AD pathology, such as amyloid beta or tau, AD04™ functions as an immunomodulator in the brain and at the periphery, stimulating and/or regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology.
About Alzheimer’s Disease
About forty-four million people worldwide suffer from AD, 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 2030. The socio-economic burden of Alzheimer’s disease is enormous. AD devastates the lives of patients and their families. The patients lose their memories and independence, and the loss of a loved one leaves behind guilt, grief, and anger. Treating or delaying 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 AD patients from accepting a debilitating disease to the retention of personality, independence, and dignity.
About ADvantage Therapeutics
Headquartered in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, ADvantage Therapeutics is developing therapies to treat neurodegenerative conditions with a central focus on Alzheimer’s disease. ADvantage’s lead compound AD04™ is an injectable therapy about to begin a confirmatory Phase 2b clinical trial in Europe to evaluate safety and efficacy in mild Alzheimer’s disease. ADvantage believes that AD04™ may function as an immunomodulator, stimulating and regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology, rather than limiting therapy to the misfolded and aggregated amyloid beta and tau proteins. ADvantage is also exploring additional approaches to mitigating neurodegenerative disease, which it believes will eventually extend longevity.
About ADvantage Therapeutics GmbH
ADvantage Therapeutics GmbH, founded in 2021, is the Vienna BioCenter-based subsidiary of ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc., where the Company conducts early research and drug development. ADvantage is developing therapies to treat neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is currently preparing for clinical trials in Europe and in the U.S.
Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements of potential mode of action, potential clinical effect, potential safety, and ADvantage’s potential clinical development program and pipeline program. ADvantage may be unable to achieve the expected benefits of the topics described in this press release. ADvantage may be unsuccessful in having any of the purchased patent applications result in issued patents with the full desired claims or at all. ADvantage may not receive the expected synergies from these transactions. ADvantage is in the early stages of developing and testing its AD04™ compound and may not receive regulatory approval to conduct the contemplated Phase 2b trial. The described clinical effect of our lead compound AD04™ is primarily based on results of a Phase 2 study designed to evaluate a different compound. The described results need to be confirmed for proof of concept, might not be representative of larger scale clinical trials, and do not guarantee future regulatory approval or clinical success. Any preclinical results presented are interim. The mechanism of action of AD04™ as potentially determined in our future investigations, particularly in future clinical trials with patients with AD, might differ from the one presented.
Contacts:
For ADvantage Therapeutics
195 NW 40th Street
Miami, FL 33127
Jeffrey Madden CEO
jeff@advantagetherapeutics.com
(786) 542-5499
David Buchsbaum CFO
david@advantagetherapeutics.com
(786) 542-5499
For Media:
Jules Abraham
JQA Partners, Inc.
jabraham@jqapartners.com
(917) 885-7378
(Jules Abraham is not related to Carmela Abraham)
