We're invested in the fight against AD!

Vaccinex has developed an experimental antibody therapy called “pepinemab” which blocks the function of a protein in the body called semaphorin 4D, or SEMA4D. We have recently completed a clinical trial for the potential treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD), a devastating neurode generative disorder marked by severe cognitive and motor decline.

Pepinemab may also hold promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Decline in FDG-PET signal, which pepinemab has been shown to prevent in patients with HD, has been established as an early prognostic indicator of cognitive decline in AD. SEMA4D has also been found to be upregulated in cortical neurons of patients suffering from AD.

As in Huntington’s disease, SEMA4D can interact with astrocytes, impairing normal support functions such as glucose transport. There is clear evidence demonstrating that impaired glucose metabolism is associated with AD brain pathology and symptoms, providing a strong rationale foranti-SEMA4D treatment with pepinemab, which could potentially lead to a reduction or slowing of brain pathology and/or cognitive symptoms in AD. We are building on prior data from our SIGNAL phase 2 study in Huntington’s disease that we believe indicated cognitive benefit to patients at an early stage of this devastating neurodegenerative disease. It was particularly encouraging that this was accompanied by evidence of increased brain metabolic activity.

In June 2021, Vaccinex activated clinical sites for the SIGNAL-AD trial, a placebo-controlled study of pepinemab for the treatment of AD. The Alzheimer’s proof-of-concept study is expected to enroll at least 40patients with key efficacy endpoints that include measures of cognition and brain imaging. Initial data from the planned study will be expected in early2023.

Vaccinex’s AD program is supported by awards from the Alzheimer’s Association ($750,000) and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (up to $3 million).

We support the Alzheimer's Association

Please support our team for the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®, the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

For more information about our company, our flagship drug pepinemab, and our work in clinical neurology, please visit our website: http://www.vaccinex.com/

Note: Pepinemab is an investigational drug currently in clinical studies. It has not been demonstrated to be safe and effective for any disease indication. There is no guarantee that pepinemab will be approved for the treatment of any disease by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or by any other health authority worldwide.