AC Immune Shares Insights from Key Opinion Leader Meeting on Tau as a Therapeutic and Diagnostic Target in Alzheimer's and ot...
December 01 2017 - 2:20PM
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 1,
2017 - AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a Swiss-based, clinical
stage biopharmaceutical company with a broad pipeline focused on
neurodegenerative diseases, shared the top level insights from
today's Key Opinion Leader (KOL) luncheon meeting on the importance
of Tau as a target in Alzheimer's disease and other
neurodegenerative diseases. The meeting featured presentations by
KOLs Khalid Iqbal, PhD (New York State Institute for Basic Research
in Developmental Disabilities) and Michael Rafii, MD, PhD (UC San
Diego and USC).
Dr. Khalid Igbal highlighted the critical
importance of Tau as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease
and other neurodegenerative diseases and how inhibition and
prevention of the Tau pathology can potentially rescue the
pathology of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment.
Dr. Iqbal commented: "Neurodegeneration
leads to Tau pathology and Tau pathology leads to
neurodegeneration. Where there is no Tau pathology, there is no
Alzheimer's disease. Tau-based therapeutic approaches have
significant potential to treat a range of neurodegenerative
diseases."
Dr. Michael Rafii discussed Tau mediated
pathology and the importance of Tau diagnostics in people with Down
syndrome, a population with a genetic predisposition to develop
Alzheimer's related neuropathological changes including Abeta
plaques and Tau tangles.
Dr. Rafii remarked: "Biomarkers of
Alzheimer's, including Tau-PET, can be readily studied in adults
with Down syndrome as in other preclinical AD populations. By
understanding the link between Alzheimer's and Down syndrome, we
may not only be able to help the Down syndrome community but the
broader population as well. People with Down syndrome are an
important population to study as we enhance our understanding of
early intervention and prevention of Alzheimer's disease in
general."
AC Immune's management provided an overview of
the Company's strategy to invest and build value in each of the
three pillars of its business -- Alzheimer's disease, other
significant neurodegenerative diseases and neuro-orphan
indications, and diagnostics.
Prof. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune,
said: "We are delighted to share the valuable insights of these
world-leading experts with our investors and stakeholders. These
types of exchanges are vital so we can all work more effectively
together to achieve the common goal of an approved
disease-modifying therapeutic and earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's
disease - one of society's biggest challenges of the century."
"AC Immune has a deep pipeline of diagnostics
and therapeutics with the clear goal to become the leader in
precision medicine in Alzheimer's disease. The goal of precision
medicine is to deliver optimally targeted and timed interventions
tailored to an individual's molecular drivers of disease."
Dr. Andreas Muhs, CSO of AC Immune,
highlighted AC Immune's relevant Tau programs:
- ACI-35, an anti-Tau vaccine in Phase 1b and developed in
collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals under a 2014 licensing
agreement
- RO7105705, an anti-Tau antibody in Phase 2 and developed in
collaboration with Genentech under a 2012 licensing agreement
- Morphomer Tau, a small molecule in pre-clinical development and
developed in-house
- PI-2620, a Tau-PET imaging agent developed in collaboration
with Piramal Imaging under a 2014 licensing agreement
A
replay of the event is available on the Investor Page of AC
Immune's website.
About AC ImmuneAC Immune is a clinical
stage Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company focused on
neurodegenerative diseases with four product candidates in clinical
trials. The Company designs, discovers and develops therapeutic and
diagnostic products intended to prevent and modify diseases caused
by misfolding proteins. AC Immune's two proprietary technology
platforms create antibodies, small molecules and vaccines designed
to address a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative indications, such
as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Company's pipeline features nine
therapeutic and three diagnostic product candidates. The most
advanced of these is crenezumab, an anti-Abeta antibody in Phase 3
clinical studies for AD that is being conducted by the
collaboration partner Genentech. Other collaborations include
Biogen, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Nestlé Institute of Health
Sciences, Piramal Imaging and Essex Bio-Technology.
Forward looking statementsThis press release contains
statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking
statements are statements other than historical fact and may
include statements that address future operating, financial or
business performance or AC Immune's strategies or expectations. In
some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking
words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expects," "plans,"
"anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "projects,"
"potential," "outlook" or "continue," and other comparable
terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's
current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and
business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by
these statements. These risks and uncertainties include those
described under the captions "Item 3. Key Information-Risk Factors"
and "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" in AC
Immune's Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date they are made, and AC Immune
does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new
information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be
required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are
qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
For further information, please
contact:
In EuropeEva SchierAC Immune Corporate Communications Phone:
+41 21 345 91 34E-mail: eva.schier@acimmune.com |
In the USLisa SherAC Immune Investor Relations Phone: +1 970
987 26 54E-mail: lisa.sher@acimmune.com |
Nick Miles /Toomas KullCabinet Privé de Conseils s.a.Phone: +41 22
552 46 46 E-mail: miles@cpc-pr.comkull@cpc-pr.com |
Ted AgneThe Communications Strategy Group Inc.Phone: +1 781 631
3117E-mail: edagne@comstratgroup.com |
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