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Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alzheimer's may be delayed through lifestyle changes, new studies show
Although her grandfather had dementia when he died, Kristin Richardson hadn't worried much about her brain until a lab test revealed that she was positive for APOE4, a gene that has been linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. That was seven and a half years ago. Richardson, now 51, remembers crying when she got the news. 'I was terrified,' she said. 'It's a horrible, horrible disease with no cure.' So Richardson, a business owner in Richmond, Virginia, decided to make whatever changes she could to reduce her risk of the disease. 'I do what I can to get enough sleep. I keep active. I try to eat well and maintain a healthy weight, and I'm always working my brain to learn new things,' she said. Two new studies being presented at the Alzheimer's Association meeting Monday in Toronto may give some hope to Richardson and others who carry a genetic risk for the disease. Both new studies build on previous evidence that diet, certain brain training exercises and physical activity can delay the loss of memory and slow the decline of other cognitive abilities. One study looked at the impact of walking on 2,985 Black and white older adults who were tested for APOE status and were followed for 10 years. Each year, the participants were questioned about the amount of walking they did, and at multiple points during the follow-up period, their cognitive status was evaluated with standardized exams. Overall, participants with the APOE4 gene mutation showed steeper declines in cognition compared with those with other forms of the gene that don't raise the risk of Alzheimer's. While walking appeared to have a protective effect on all the participants, it was strongest among those with APOE4. The risk of developing Alzheimer's among those with two copies of APOE4 is 12 times that of women with none and four times that of men with none, said the study's senior author, Cindy Barha, an assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Calgary and Canada Research chair in neuroscience, brain health and exercise. That changed significantly if people walked. Overall, women benefited more. A 10% higher amount of self-reported walking was associated with a 4.7% increase in complex thinking performance over time in women and a 2.6% increase in men. Among APOE4 carriers, men appeared to benefit more. A 10% higher amount of self-reported walking was associated with an 8.5% increase in global cognitive performance over time in women and a 12% increase in men. That was a surprise to the researchers, who expected that women would continue to benefit more. Walking seems to keep brains healthier by pumping up levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that's known to support the health of brain cells, Barha said. Other proteins in the brain may be involved, as well. 'BDNF is like fertilizer for your brain that is naturally produced, especially when you are being physically active, such as when you are walking,' Barha said. 'It helps brain cells survive, grow and form stronger connections; this supports memory, learning and mood, especially in the hippocampus, which is the brain's memory center.' A limitation of the study is that it didn't track how fast or how frequently the participants walked. Dementia risk modified through lifestyle The second international study, led by researchers in Finland, found that a combination of lifestyle modifications could also benefit people with the APOE4 variation more than those with other mutations. The study included 2,469 participants from France, Japan and Finland who were randomly assigned to receive multi-focus lifestyle interventions or not. Among the participants were 709 APOE4 carriers. Included in the lifestyle modifications were: Cognitive training, either computer-based or with paper and pencil. Physical activity, including group-based physical group exercise sessions lasting 90 minutes and an exercise program supervised by physiotherapists at the gym. Dietary counseling. A preliminary analysis revealed that the benefit of the intervention was greater among the APOE4 carriers. Study co-author Jenni Lehtisalo, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said the main takeaway is that the risk for dementia, even in people with genetic predisposition, can be modified through lifestyle. There was about a fourfold greater benefit in those who were positive for APOE4, said Lehtisalo, who is also a visiting researcher at the University of Eastern Finland. The hope is that future research will reveal whether there is a specific window of time during which the modifications are more effective, she said. Dr. Cynthia Boyd, a professor of medicine and director of the division of geriatric medicine and gerontology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said the studies show 'there is something concrete we can all do to decrease the risk of cognitive decline.' 'Walking and other lifestyle modifications can be protective for the brain,' said Boyd, who wasn't involved in the new research. Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said that to optimize brain and cognitive health, it's a good idea for everyone, regardless of genetic risk, to engage in physical activity, maintain a good diet and monitor other risk factors linked to dementia. 'Sometimes initiating new healthy behaviors is difficult for people," Brickman said. "Knowledge of being at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease by virtue of having an APOE4 allele may help inspire or motivate lifestyle changes to mitigate that risk.' This article was originally published on
Bloomberg
35 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Atlantic Hurricane Forecasts Scaled Back as Season Spins Toward Peak
Scientists who initially predicted an overactive year are scaling back expectations, and there's some wariness about making conclusions after a peculiar 2024. By and Mary Hui Save Welcome to Weather Watch, our weekly newsletter on how the planet's ever wilder weather patterns are impacting the global economy. Got feedback and forecasts? Write us at weatherteam@ And sign up here if you're not on the list already. Forecasters are struggling to pin down how many hurricanes will spin out of the Atlantic, just as the peak season for powerful storms nears and the US weather agency reels from cutbacks.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Acumen Pharmaceuticals Presents Studies Showing the Utility of a pTau217 Assay in Screening for a Phase 2 Alzheimer's Disease Trial and Validates Sabirnetug Oligomer-Selectivity, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025
NEWTON, Mass., July 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapeutic that targets soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), today announced results showing that implementing a blood-based pTau217 screening assay reduced Acumen's overall clinical trial screening costs by approximately 40% in its Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD study of sabirnetug in early Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, a nonclinical study revealed sabirnetug achieved the highest selectivity for AβOs over Aβ monomers relative to recombinant lecanemab and aducanumab. The results are being presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), taking place July 27-31, 2025, in Toronto and online. 'These advances represent important progress in addressing the critical need for effective treatments targeting toxic amyloid β oligomers (AβOs) in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease, while simultaneously demonstrating patient-centric and cost-effective trial execution strategies,' said Eric Siemers, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Acumen Pharmaceuticals. 'By combining cutting-edge therapeutic development with smart clinical trial strategies, we're working to create a more efficient path forward in bringing potential new options to patients with Alzheimer's disease. " ALTITUDE-AD: Cost savings using a pTau217 screening assay in an ongoing Phase 2 study of sabirnetug in early Alzheimer's disease Acumen reported operational innovations in its ALTITUDE-AD Phase 2 clinical trial where researchers implemented an innovative two-step screening process using plasma pTau217 biomarker assay testing that yielded significant clinical trial screening and cost efficiencies. The approach reduced total screening costs by approximately 40% across U.S. and Canadian sites. Furthermore, the screening process was efficient, with 48% of participants meeting the pTau217 threshold required for confirmatory testing. Among those who passed this initial screening, 81% of participants successfully met amyloid positivity eligibility requirements. The strategy performed as intended, helping to achieve strong enrollment rates and reducing unnecessary amyloid PET scans and lumbar puncture procedures for potential participants. Sabirnetug shows superior selectivity for Aβ oligomers over monomer, a differentiated mechanism of action. Soluble, synaptotoxic AβOs are an early and persistent driver of AD-related pathophysiology and represent a key target for the development of next-generation therapies for Alzheimer's disease. Targeting soluble AβOs may slow down neurodegeneration, reduce tau hyperphosphorylation, and prevent synapse loss for patients with early AD. Acumen demonstrated sabirnetug's selectivity for binding to toxic AβOs through comprehensive surface plasmon resonance testing. The study revealed sabirnetug achieved the highest binding affinities to AβO preparations among the monoclonal antibodies tested. Sabirnetug also showed minimal interaction with monomeric Aβ, which is significant given that monomeric forms are approximately 7,000-fold more abundant than oligomers in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with MCI and mild dementia due to AD. Overall, sabirnetug demonstrated 8,750-fold selectivity for Aβ1-42 stabilized oligomers over Aβ1-40 monomers. The results support sabirnetug's mechanism of action and selectivity for AβOs. About Sabirnetug (ACU193) Sabirnetug (ACU193) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovered and developed based on its selectivity for soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs), which are a highly toxic and pathogenic form of Aβ, relative to Aβ monomers and amyloid plaques. Soluble AβOs have been observed to be potent neurotoxins that bind to neurons, inhibit synaptic function and induce neurodegeneration. By selectively targeting toxic soluble AβOs, sabirnetug aims to address the hypothesis that soluble AβOs are an early and persistent underlying cause of the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Sabirnetug has been granted Fast Track designation for the treatment of early AD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 study in patients with early AD. About ALTITUDE-AD (Phase 2) Initiated in 2024, ALTITUDE-AD is a Phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sabirnetug (ACU193) infusions administered once every four weeks in slowing cognitive and functional decline as compared to placebo in participants with early Alzheimer's disease. The study has enrolled 542 individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD) at multiple investigative sites located in the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. More information can be found on NCT identifier NCT06335173. About Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Acumen Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapeutic that targets toxic soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Acumen's scientific founders pioneered research on AβOs, which a growing body of evidence indicates are early and persistent triggers of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Acumen is currently focused on advancing its investigational product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193), a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets synaptotoxic AβOs, in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial ALTITUDE-AD (NCT06335173) in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease patients, following positive results in its Phase 1 trial INTERCEPT-AD. Acumen is also investigating a subcutaneous formulation of sabirnetug using Halozyme's proprietary ENHANZE® drug delivery technology. Acumen is also collaborating with JCR Pharmaceuticals to develop an Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD™) therapy for Alzheimer's disease utilizing a transferrin-receptor-targeting blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology. The company is headquartered in Newton, Mass. For more information, visit Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing Acumen's goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as 'potential,' 'will' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning the therapeutic potential and potential clinical efficacy of Acumen's product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193) and the efficiencies and costs associated with the pTau217 screening assay. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Acumen's management, and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing safe and effective human therapeutics. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of geopolitical events and macroeconomic conditions, such as rising inflation and interest rates, supply disruptions and uncertainty of credit and financial markets. These and other risks concerning Acumen's programs are described in additional detail in Acumen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including in Acumen's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from Acumen. Additional information will be made available in other filings that Acumen makes from time to time with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Acumen expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law, whether, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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