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AC Immune Advances Alzheimer's Vaccine to Phase Ib/IIa Study

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AC Immune SA (ACIU - Free Report) announced the initiation of the second-highest dosing group in its phase Ib/IIa study evaluating ACI-35.030 for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The primary objective of the study will be to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of different doses of ACI-35.030 over a 48-week treatment phase in patients with early AD. Other endpoints will assess clinical and cognitive parameters as well as additional immunogenicity and safety parameters.

The decision to advance ACI-35.030 to a higher dosing group is based on encouraging interim safety, tolerability and immunogenicity results from the initial dosing group. In the interim study, ACI-35.030 showed early target-specific antibody response against pTau after the first injection in the vast majority of patients in mild-to-moderate AD.

Shares of the company rose 18.5% after the announcement of the news. However, shares of the company have inched up 0.4% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 9.5%.

 

ACI-35.030 is the first AD vaccine candidate designed to stimulate a specific antibody response against pathologic phospho-Tau (pTau) proteins in the brain. Anti-pTau antibodies generated by ACI-35.030 have the potential to reduce the spread and seeding of Tau pathology throughout the brain. It is being developed in collaboration with Johnson and Johnson’s (JNJ - Free Report) subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

AC Immune is also evaluating ACI-24, an anti-amyloid beta vaccine,whichis in phase Ib/II studies for two indications. The company also is testing semorinemab, an anti-Tau antibody,and crenezumab, an anti-amyloid antibody,in phase II studies. Both are being conducted in partnership with Genentech, part of Roche Holding AG (RHHBY - Free Report) .

Zacks Rank &A Stock to Consider

AC Immune currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the biotech sector is Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (EBS - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Emergent’s earnings per share estimates have increased from $3.18 to $4.03 for 2020 and from $3.32 to $4.31 for 2021 in the past 60 days.

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