Vaccinex Reports Completion of Last Patient Visit in Randomized, SIGNAL-AD Phase 1b/2 Study of Pepinemab Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

Core Insights - Pepinemab targets astrocyte reactivity and neuroinflammation, which are believed to be key drivers of neurodegeneration [1] - The SIGNAL-AD study is a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating pepinemab as a monotherapy for Alzheimer's Disease, with potential Phase 3 development in Huntington's disease [4][10] - Vaccinex, Inc. is focused on treating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer through the inhibition of Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D) [11] Company Overview - Vaccinex, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that has developed pepinemab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody designed to block SEMA4D [10][11] - The company has global commercial and development rights to pepinemab and is collaborating with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. for the KEYNOTE-B84 study [12] Clinical Study Details - The SIGNAL-AD study has been funded by the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) with a total of $4.75 million and an additional $0.75 million grant from the Alzheimer's Association [9] - Key outcomes of the SIGNAL-AD study will include safety, tolerability, and the impact of pepinemab on brain metabolic activity and astrocyte reactivity [6] - The study aims to evaluate biomarkers of disease progression, including plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and phosphorylated tau peptide (p-tau 217) [6] Market Potential - The prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease is significant, with 6 million diagnosed individuals in the US, highlighting the potential market for pepinemab if approved [6] - Current limitations of existing anti-Aβ amyloid antibodies could position pepinemab as an attractive alternative or complementary treatment [6]