AC Immune: Takeda Partnership Brings Funds To Drive Pipeline Forward

Core Viewpoint - AC Immune SA is advancing its active immunotherapy candidates ACI-24.060 for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and ACI-7104.056 for early Parkinson's Disease (PD), with significant upcoming catalysts and a partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals that enhances its financial position and development prospects [1][4][14]. Group 1: ACI-24.060 Development - ACI-24.060 is currently being tested in the phase 2 ABATE trial, targeting both AD patients and non-demented adults with Down Syndrome (DS) [1][6]. - Two key catalysts are anticipated: updated guidance on interim results from the ABATE trial expected in the second half of 2024, and interim safety and immunogenicity data for DS patients with AD [2][7]. - The partnership with Takeda includes an upfront payment of $100 million and potential milestone payments up to$2.1 billion, which will support further pipeline development [2][9]. Group 2: Market Opportunity - The global Alzheimer's therapeutics market is projected to exceed $8.18 billion by 2032, with a significant portion of the patient population being those with Down Syndrome, where approximately 30$6.69 billion by 2029, providing another substantial opportunity for AC Immune with its ACI-7104.056 candidate [15][16]. Group 3: Financial Position - As of March 31, 2024, AC Immune reported total cash of 118.7 million, sufficient to fund operations for at least three years, largely due to partnership agreements [10]. - The company incurred R&D expenses of 17.4 million and G&A expenses of $5.6 million for the three months ending March 31, 2024, resulting in a total cash burn of$23 million per quarter [10].