Worldwide Clinical Trials to test Alzinova’s candidate Alzheimer’s vaccine

Worldwide Clinical Trials will run a study of a candidate Alzheimer’s disease vaccine under a new contract with Sweden-based biopharma firm Alzinova AB.

The contract will see Worldwide test ALZ-101 in a Phase II clinical study in patients with early onset forms of the disease. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Alzinova CEO Tord Labuda explained that the CRO was selected due to its experience in conducting neuroscience and vaccine studies.

“Their deep expertise and proven track record in supporting studies that have led to the approval of disease-modifying treatments ensures that we have the operational strength required to successfully develop ALZ-101. This collaboration brings us one step closer to delivering a new and superior treatment to market as quickly as possible,” he said.

According to Alzinova, North Carolina-headquartered Worldwide has managed over 9,000 participants in dementia-related clinical trials over the past five years.

Alzinova will fund the study using the proceeds of a SEK 35.7 million fundraising move that was completed in May. At the time, the firm cited ALZ-101’s performance in a Phase I study as the basis for the decision to move to Phase II.

Further details of the planned study were not disclosed. However, according to comments made by Labunda in May (Swedish), the aim is to begin the study before the end of the year.

ALZ-101

News of the Phase II trial contract follows just days after Alzinova revealed it is in talks with potential biopharmaceutical industry partners.

Earlier this month, the Swedish drug firm said it would look for a collaborator to further the development of ALZ-101 at the annual BIO International Convention in Boston.

More recently, Alzinova partnered with UK investment firm Rx Securities to raise investor awareness about ALZ-101. ALZ-101 is based on Alzinova’s AβCC peptide technology, which stabilizes Aβ42 oligomers, preventing them from forming the fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the firm, preclinical studies suggest ALZ-101 vaccination generates oligomer-specific antibodies capable of selectively neutralizing low-abundance toxic Aβ oligomers.

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