Domestic pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations will showcase various research achievements toward conquering dementia at the world's largest dementia academic conference, including new drugs that cross the blood-brain barrier, pathological protein removal technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic technologies.
According to the industry on the 29th, domestic corporations will introduce their self-developed diagnostic and therapeutic technologies at the Alzheimer Association International Conference (AAIC), the world's largest Alzheimer's conference. The AAIC will be held in Toronto, Canada, with a five-day schedule until the 31st (local time).
Alzheimer's disease is known to occur due to the accumulation of abnormal amyloid beta and tau proteins inside and outside the cells. Amyloid beta typically protects nerve cells, but when it escapes outside of the brain cells and aggregates, it can destroy the nerve cells. Tau is a protein that maintains the structure of nerve cells, but when it detaches from its original location and accumulates inside the cells, it causes cognitive dysfunction.
Dong-A ST will present the preclinical results of 'DA-7503,' which prevents abnormal aggregation of tau proteins, at this conference. The company stated that DA-7503 inhibits the formation of oligomers, the early form before abnormal tau proteins accumulate in nerve cells.
ABL Bio will announce preclinical data on 'Grabody-B,' a technology that penetrates the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier allows oxygen and nutrients to pass while blocking larger substances from reaching the brain.
Grabody-B is a technology that delivers antibodies to the brain, and it has been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in the UK for up to 4.1 trillion won. This conference will explain how drugs employing the Grabody-B technology pass through the mouse's brain barrier.
CURACLE will also present its preclinical results. The Alzheimer's disease candidate substance 'CU71' reportedly showed superior effects in cognitive function and memory recovery compared to the representative dementia treatment donepezil, the company explained.
Illimis Therapeutics will unveil its proprietary platform technology 'GAIA,' which removes misfolded proteins, while Amyloid Solutions will present preclinical results of the low molecular weight therapeutic candidate 'AS-S603,' which directly disassembles amyloid beta and tau aggregates.
Domestic corporations are also making significant strides in the field of diagnostic technologies. Neurophet, an AI brain imaging analysis company, will demonstrate its software 'Neurophet Aqua AD,' which can track the effectiveness of antibody therapies, at the onsite booth. VUNO will present its AI for brain disease diagnosis, 'DeepBrain,' while PeopleBio will announce its biomarker-based technology for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Global pharmaceutical companies will also present major achievements. Notably, Japanese company Eisai and American company Biogen will unveil long-term follow-up data on the Alzheimer's treatment 'Leqembi,' developed jointly, and the clinical trial results of a new subcutaneous (SC) formulation for the first time.
'Leqembi' is an antibody therapy that removes amyloid beta proteins, which are cited as causes of Alzheimer's disease. It received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023, and prescriptions in Korea began in November of the following year. However, with reports of side effects including brain edema during the treatment process, ensuring safety remains a major challenge.