Alzheimer's has been one of the disease that have been most challenging to find effective therapeutics (See Review), to which any central nervous system (CNS) biopharma investor will attest. Yesterday, ANVS was up more than 100% on their report of surprisingly good efficacy data in a Phase 2 study of their drug candidate, ANVS401, in Alzheimer's disease. In the first 14 patients analyzed, after 25 days of treatment, patients experienced a statistically significant 4.4 point improvement in the ADAS-Cog11 score, a commonly used cognitive score of Alzeimer's disease.
We identified other companies that have Alzheimer's drug candidates in our bpiq.com database to determine whether the positive news on ANVS carried through to the companies sponsoring these other Alzheimer's candidates (See Table 1). Overall, the news on ANVS appeared to have a positive affect on the Alzheimer's Smid-CAP group as the median move for companies developing Alzheimer's drugs on 5/21/21 was 2.99% vs. a median of 0% for the ~550 companies in our BPIQ.com database. Shares of LGVN, INMB and ALEC all traded over 5% higher, possibly as a result of the ANVS report-out.
Table 1. 5/21/21 stock move for BPIQ companies developing Alzheimer's drugs
Next, we analyzed whether any of the other Alzheimer's companies in our BPIQ database, shared a similar mechanism of action (Table 2). ANVS401 has been shown in human and animal studies to lower tau/phospho-tau, α-synuclein, and Alzheimer's Precursor Protein (APP), which is proteolyzed into amyloid β peptides (Aβ), (Source). Apparently, these are the neurotoxic proteins that impair axonal transport and lead to inflammation and cell death (Source). Table 2 provides information about the targets/mechanisms of the Alzheimer's drug candidates in our BPIQ database. ANVS401 appears unique in its down regulation of the combination of APP/Aβ), tau/phospho-tau, and α-synuclein. Thus, the results of ANVS yesterday, might not provide a positive insight into any of the other Alzheimer's Smid-CAP companies.
The closest mechanism appears to be those targeted by the ACIU candidates, Semorinemab, which inhibits tau, and ACI-24, which is a vaccine directed against aggregated Amyloid Aβ protein. It's interesting that ACIU stock price was actually down on 5/22/21. Thus, the market is not seeing a tight correlation between ADMS's candidate and those of ACIU. This reaction might be because ACIU's partner, Genentech, reported negative results for Semorinemab in mild Alzheimer's. And with respect to ACI-24, the market may feel that the possible Alzheimer's treatment activity of ANVS401 does not relate solely to its Amyloid β down regulation since Amyloid β protein has been one of the most highly targeted proteins in the graveyard of Alzheimer's drug candidates (See Review). Maybe a key to ANVS401's success is the combination of proteins it down-regulates, since a combination approach is believed most likely to be most effective (See Review). Maybe that's why the market gave LGVN stock a double-digit boost on the ANVS news, although its mechanism does not appear on a first analysis to be closely linked to that of ANVS, it is a combination approach.
Table 2 Target/Mechanism for Smid-CAP Companies Alzheimer's drugs
In our expanded coverage full article on BPIQ.com about 2022 smid-CAP Alzheimer's companies, we look at upcoming catalysts in the next 2 months in Alzheimer's trials, and we compare ANVS and the ANVS401 data to another Alzheimer's SmidCAP company with positive date from earlier this year. For access to this expanded coverage full article just sign up for a free 30 day trial (no credit card) to BPIQ.com and lock in an intro rate if you decide to continue your subscription after 30 days. Just go to BPIQ.com and follow the links on the home page.