Pharma Company AmyriAD Steps into the Light with Phase III Symptom Relief Drug for Alzheimer's Disease

BOSTON, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CTAD Conference -- AmyriAD – a biopharmaceutical company led by the development strategist who introduced the cognition enhancing medication Aricept® – today announced its leading candidate in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease (AD), AD101, will enter Phase 3 trials in the second quarter of 2022. The new drug's approach aims to complement already existing treatment for AD by focusing on improving both cognition and global function through a unique pathway, neuroselective T-type calcium channels.

AD is the most common cause of dementia and fifth leading cause of death in adults over 65 years of age, affecting 6 million people in the United States alone. In 2020, the cost of AD care was more than $500 million USD, the majority of which was unpaid caregiving. By 2050, the economic cost of unpaid caregiving alone is expected to soar to $1 trillion USD.

For the last 20 years, Aricept® has been the standard of care for AD.  It significantly improves in cognition and global function at all stages of the disease. While these effects are durable when compared against placebo, neither Aricept® nor any other treatment has proven to mitigate AD progression.

"Research over the last 15+ years has focused on disease modification strategies relying on biomarkers as proxies, alongside measurements of patient function," explained AmyriAD CEO Dr. Sharon Rogers. "These efforts have greatly enhanced our collective understanding of AD, and recent results from studies of enriched patient populations provide hope. Despite this, a prediction of who will or will not succumb to AD remains elusive. Thus, addressing the core symptoms of AD across a broad population of patients continues to be a critical and under met medical need."

By focusing on cognition and global function, AmyriAD is progressing a drug that, when given in conjunction with Aricept®, demonstrated statistically significant additive relief in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 proof-of-concept.  These beneficial effects were produced with an adverse event profile indistinguishable from placebo.

AD101 was initially discovered in phenotypic testing of animal models of learning and memory. Mechanism of action studies subsequently demonstrated increased acetylcholine release through selective antagonism of Ca_V3.1 and Ca_V3.3 voltage-gated channels. This action also improved learning and memory in models dependent on Aβ and tau while reducing the accumulation of both biomarkers in these animals.

About AmyriAD

AmyriAD is developing drug treatments in conjunction with cutting-edge diagnostics, digital staging assessments, and disease mitigation strategies.  Our team brings together decades of experience in Alzheimer's Disease with the singular goal of easing the devastation it causes.

Learn more at https://amyriadtherapeutics.com/ 

PR Contact:
TMG360 Media
Nanette Soto
[email protected]

SOURCE AmyriAD

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https://amyriadtherapeutics.com/