Prothena Announces Presentations on Two Programs from its Alzheimer’s Disease Portfolio at CTAD 2020
November 04 2020 - 8:30AM
Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA), a late-stage clinical
company with expertise in protein dysregulation and a diverse
pipeline of investigational therapeutics for neurodegenerative and
rare peripheral amyloid diseases, today announced that it will
present preclinical data from two programs in its Alzheimer’s
disease portfolio at the 13th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s
Disease Conference 2020 (CTAD 2020). Prothena’s programs being
highlighted at CTAD 2020 are next generation anti-Aβ antibodies for
subcutaneous administration to improve patient access, and a
multi-immunogen vaccine that targets key Aβ and tau epitopes, the
two main pathological proteins involved in the cause and
progression of Alzheimer’s disease, for the prevention and
treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. The two programs are part of
Prothena’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio that includes antibodies,
vaccines and small molecules.
“After years of foundational research by our
scientists and advances by others, we believe the field is on the
precipice of being able to offer patients the first generation of
drugs to slow the relentless progression of neurodegenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” stated Wagner Zago, PhD, Chief
Scientific Officer of Prothena. “Due to the high prevalence of
Alzheimer’s disease, these first-generation approaches will face
significant challenges related to patient access due to high
required dose levels, route of administration, manufacturing and
distribution limitations. To address these limitations, Prothena
has developed a portfolio of next generation therapies with a focus
on delivering greater patient access through, for example, highly
potent anti-Aβ antibodies that can be delivered through convenient
subcutaneous administration. We have accomplished this by applying
our knowledge around the structural binding characteristics of
antibodies to design and screen novel immunotherapies with improved
binding properties to key epitopes to produce the desired clinical
effect.”
Next generation anti-Aβ
antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies targeting key epitopes
within the N-terminus of Aβ have demonstrated that reducing amyloid
plaque burden is associated with the slowing of clinical decline in
Alzheimer’s disease. To address the growing prevalence of
Alzheimer’s disease with a therapeutic that can be made widely
accessible to patients, Prothena has developed highly potent
anti-Aβ antibodies that retain or improve key attributes that are
thought to underlie the observed efficacy of N-terminally
directed therapeutics such as aducanumab, with the aim of offering
similar or improved efficacy with convenient subcutaneous dosing
regimens. Prothena antibodies demonstrated a higher binding
strength to amyloid than aducanumab; specifically, antibodies
with as much as an 11-fold greater affinity/avidity for
fibrillar Aβ than aducanumab that also neutralized soluble,
toxic (i.e., oligomeric) Aβ species. Prothena antibodies were
also shown to recognize Aβ pathology to a greater extent than
aducanumab, demonstrating more extensive plaque area binding at
lower antibody concentrations, which are estimated to be clinically
relevant exposures in the central nervous system following systemic
dosing.
The poster can be found as follows:
- Title: Novel Amyloid Beta Monoclonal Antibodies with Superior
Binding Properties: Potential for More Convenient Dosing and
Greater Patient Access in Alzheimer’s Disease
- Session: Abstract # P81, New therapies and clinical trials
- Presenter: Wagner Zago, PhD, Chief
Scientific Officer
Multi-Immunogen Aβ-Tau
Vaccine
Preclinical models suggest that Aβ and tau act
synergistically in the development of Alzheimer’s disease; however,
the majority of vaccines and passive immunotherapies under
development target only one of these two pathological features.
Prothena is developing a multi-immunogen vaccine (MIV) that targets
key epitopes wihin the Aβ and tau proteins. The MIV is a single
vaccine and is being developed for the prevention and treatment of
Alzheimer’s disease. The Aβ-tau MIV generates polyclonal responses
against key epitopes within the N-terminal of Aβ and a key region
of tau to promote amyloid clearance and blockade of tau
transmission. Immunohistochemistry using sera from immunized
animals demonstrated an appropriate and balanced immune response
with antibodies that react to both Aβ plaques and tau tangles at
concentrations expected to be reached in CNS following immunization
and resultant titer generation.
The poster can be found as follows:
- Title: Development of a Dual Aβ-Tau Vaccine for the Prevention
and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Session: Abstract # P80, New therapies and clinical trials
- Presenter: R. Barbour, Senior Director Antibody and Assay
Development
About Prothena
Prothena Corporation plc is a late-stage
clinical company with expertise in protein dysregulation and a
diverse pipeline of novel investigational therapeutics with the
potential to change the course of devastating neurodegenerative and
rare peripheral amyloid diseases. Fueled by its deep scientific
expertise built over decades of research, Prothena is advancing a
pipeline of therapeutic candidates for a number of indications and
novel targets for which its ability to integrate scientific
insights around neurological dysfunction and the biology of
misfolded proteins can be leveraged. Prothena’s partnered programs
include prasinezumab (PRX002/RG7935), in collaboration with Roche
for the potential treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other
related synucleinopathies, and programs that target tau (PRX005),
TDP-43 and an undisclosed target in collaboration with
Bristol-Myers Squibb for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s
disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal
dementia (FTD) or other neurodegenerative diseases. Prothena’s
wholly-owned programs include PRX004 for the potential treatment of
ATTR amyloidosis, and a portfolio of programs for the potential
treatment of Alzheimer’s disease including PRX012 that targets Aβ
(Amyloid beta). For more information, please visit the Company’s
website at www.prothena.com and follow the Company on Twitter
@ProthenaCorp.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements. These statements relate to, among other things, the
treatment potential and proposed mechanisms of action of PRX005 and
PRX012; and the continued advancement of our discovery and
preclinical pipeline. These statements are based on estimates,
projections and assumptions that may prove not to be accurate, and
actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors,
including but not limited to the effects on our business of the
worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the risks, uncertainties and other
factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of our Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2020, as well as discussions of
potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our
subsequent filings with the SEC. Prothena undertakes no obligation
to update publicly any forward-looking statements contained in this
press release as a result of new information, future events or
changes in Prothena’s expectations.
Contacts:
MediaEllen Rose, Head of
Communications650-922-2405, ellen.rose@prothena.com
InvestorsJennifer Zibuda,
Director, Investor Relations & Communications650-837-8535,
jennifer.zibuda@prothena.com
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