Athira Pharma presents phase 2 clinical data at AAIC

Athira Pharma is presenting new data supporting its pipeline of small molecule therapeutic candidates designed to enhance the HGF/MET neurotrophic system. The data are being presented in three poster presentations at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, AAIC, 2023, taking place July 16 – 20, 2023, virtually and in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Poster Presentation: “Biomarker analyses from the phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled ACT-AD and open-label extension clinical trials of fosgonimeton in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease.” This was a post-hoc analysis of the randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 ACT-AD study and data from the open-label extension study in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Change from baseline in NfL and GFAP concentrations both significantly correlated with improvements in ADAS-Cog11. Further, change from the double-blind period baseline in NfL concentrations significantly correlated with improvements in MMSE scores at the transition to the open label extension study. Change from baseline in GFAP trended toward correlation with improvements in MMSE scores. Poster Presentation: “Fosgonimeton, a small-molecule positive modulator of the HGF/MET system, attenuates amyloid-beta-mediated toxicity in primary neuron cultures.” Treatment with fosgonimeton reduced tau phosphorylation and protected cultured cortical neurons from amyloid-ss-induced degeneration. Fosgonimeton drove pro-survival signaling cascades that under the conditions tested counteracted protein pathology, apoptotic signaling, oxidative stress and autophagy impairment. Results highlight fosgonimeton’s potential as a therapeutic candidate to slow disease progression and restore neuronal health. Poster Presentation: “ATH-1105, a small-molecule positive modulator of the HGF/MET system, is neuroprotective and attenuates TDP-43 protein pathology in ALS and frontotemporal dementia-relevant preclinical models.” Reduced markers of inflammation, neurodegeneration, and TDP-43 pathology in a mouse model of ALS and FTD; Attenuated LPS-induced cognitive impairment in vivo; Enhanced neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis in primary rat hippocampal neurons; Protected against neurotoxic injury in primary rat cortical neurons; and Mitigated lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine release of THP-1 macrophages.