ACUMEN Pharmaceuticals nominates two Alzheimer's drug candidates

Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABOS) announced the nomination of two development candidates, ACU301 and ACU401, in its Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD) program for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The nominations follow Acumen's exercise of an option under its license agreement with JCR Pharmaceuticals. The candidates combine Acumen's amyloid beta oligomer (AβO)-selective antibody technology with JCR's J-Brain Cargo® blood-brain barrier-penetrating platform, which uses transferrin-receptor-targeting receptor-mediated transcytosis to deliver therapeutics to the central nervous system.

ACU301 is a bispecific antibody derived from sabirnetug, Acumen's existing clinical-stage antibody candidate. ACU401 is based on ACU234, described as a next-generation AβO-selective antibody. Both candidates are intended for subcutaneous administration.

Preclinical data from non-human primate studies showed antibody brain levels 14 to 40 times higher than those achieved with native antibodies at 24 hours. Studies also indicated a low risk of anemia based on hematology assessments, with no adverse events observed across tested species.

Acumen said investigational new drug (IND)-enabling activities are ongoing, with an IND submission targeted for mid-2027.

Jim Doherty, President and Chief Development Officer of Acumen, said the program is "designed to overcome the challenges of delivering therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier for the treatment of this devastating disease."

Separately, Acumen's Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD trial, evaluating sabirnetug in 542 patients with early Alzheimer's disease, is ongoing with topline results expected in late 2026. Sabirnetug has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease.

The EBD collaboration between Acumen and JCR Pharmaceuticals was originally announced in July 2025. Information in this article is based on a press release issued by Acumen Pharmaceuticals.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Greenstone Biosciences and Intel team up on AI drug discovery
• Cantor Fitzgerald Starts Adlai Nortye Ltd. (ANL) at Overweight
• Micron Technology (MU) call put ratio 1 calls to 1.1 puts into quarter results