Interview: Probiodrug pursues modified abeta approach to tackle Alzheimer's

Probiodrug AG CEO Dr. Konrad Glund tells Mike Ward, global director of content for Informa's pharma insights portfolio, about his company's differentiated approach to targeting Alzheimer's disease. Probiodrug is targeting glutaminyl cyclase, an enzyme that is key to production of pyroglutamate modified Abeta (pGlu-Abeta), a toxic variation of Abeta that has a crucial role in the formation of Abeta plaques. The company is taking two approaches: it has a small molecule inhibitor of the enzyme—PQ912—which is in a European Phase IIa trial—and it has developed an anti-pGlu Abeta monoclonal antibody, PBD-C06, which promotes clearance of the modified Abeta, which should enter Phase I testing in early 2017. Dr. Glund says he expects to report results from the Phase IIa trial of PQ912 in the second half of 2016.