NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapeutic that targets soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), today announced that it will present new findings at the upcoming 18th Annual Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference taking place in San Diego. The presentations include Acumen’s recruitment strategies for its Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD study of sabirnetug, as well as a nonclinical Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD™) study focusing on fusing transferrin receptor binders to sabirnetug to facilitate its transport through the blood-brain barrier. The conference will be held in-person December 1-4, 2025.
Sabirnetug, Acumen’s lead program, is the first humanized monoclonal antibody to demonstrate in early symptomatic AD patients selective target engagement of AβOs, a soluble and highly synaptotoxic form of Aβ that accumulates early in AD and is a persistent trigger of synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Enrollment in the Phase 2 study of sabirnetug, ALTITUDE-AD, was completed in March 2025.
Additionally, Acumen’s research on EBD was conducted with JCR Pharmaceuticals (“JCR”) as part of its ongoing collaboration announced in July 2025. The goal of this collaboration is to develop a product leveraging Acumen’s AβO-selective antibody expertise and JCR’s transferrin-receptor-targeting blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology – in order to potentially improve drug delivery to the brain and potentially offer patients a more effective treatment option with an improved safety profile, to slow or prevent neurodegeneration associated with AD.
Acumen’s presentation details are as follows:
Topic: P019 ALTITUDE-AD: Recruitment strategies for a global phase 2 trial of sabirnetug in early Alzheimer’s disease
Date/Time: Monday, December 1, 3:00 p.m. - Tuesday, December 2, 5:30 p.m. PST
Format: Poster Presentation
Session: Clinical trials: methodology
Presenting Author: Robyn Moxon, MA, Associate Director, Communications, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Topic: P381 Fusing Transferrin Receptor Binders to the AβO-targeting Antibody Sabirnetug Achieves Increased Brain Penetration in Mice While Preserving Target Binding
Date/Time: Thursday, December 4, 7:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST
Format: Poster Presentation
Session: Animal model and Preclinical trials in AD
Presenting Author: Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Bioanalytical Scientist, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
About Sabirnetug (ACU193)
Sabirnetug (ACU193) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovered and developed based on its selectivity for soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs), which are a highly toxic and pathogenic form of Aβ, relative to Aβ monomers and amyloid plaques. Soluble AβOs have been observed to be potent neurotoxins that bind to neurons, inhibit synaptic function and induce neurodegeneration. By selectively targeting toxic soluble AβOs, sabirnetug aims to address the hypothesis that soluble AβOs are an early and persistent underlying cause of the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sabirnetug has been granted Fast Track designation for the treatment of early AD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 study in patients with early AD.
About ALTITUDE-AD (Phase 2)
Initiated in 2024, ALTITUDE-AD is a Phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sabirnetug (ACU193) infusions administered once every four weeks in slowing cognitive and functional decline as compared to placebo in participants with early Alzheimer's disease. The study has enrolled 542 individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD) at multiple investigative sites located in the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. More information can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT identifier NCT06335173.
About Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Acumen Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapeutic that targets toxic soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Acumen’s scientific founders pioneered research on AβOs, which a growing body of evidence indicates are early and persistent triggers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Acumen is currently focused on advancing its investigational product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193), a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets synaptotoxic AβOs, in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial ALTITUDE-AD (NCT06335173) in early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease patients, following positive results in its Phase 1 trial INTERCEPT-AD. The company is headquartered in Newton, Mass. For more information, visit www.acumenpharm.com.
About the J-Brain Cargo® Platform Technology
JCR Pharmaceuticals has developed a proprietary blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrating technology, J-Brain Cargo®, to bring biotherapeutics into the central nervous system (CNS). The first drug developed based on this technology is IZCARGO® (INN: pabinafusp alfa) and is approved in Japan for the treatment of a lysosomal storage disorder.
About JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.
JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (TSE 4552) is a global specialty pharmaceutical company that develops treatments that go beyond rare diseases to solve the world’s most complex healthcare challenges. We continue to build upon our 50-year legacy in Japan while expanding our global footprint into the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. We improve patients’ lives by applying our scientific expertise and unique technologies to research, develop, and deliver next-generation therapies. Our approved products in Japan include therapies for the treatment of growth disorder, MPS II (Hunter syndrome), Fabry disease, acute graft-versus host disease, and renal anemia. Our investigational products in development worldwide are aimed at treating rare diseases including MPS I (Hurler, Hurler-Scheie and Scheie syndrome), MPS II, MPS IIIA and B (Sanfilippo syndrome type A and B), and more. Our core values – Putting people first, Forging our own path, Always advancing, and Committed to excellence – mean that the work we do benefits all our stakeholders, including partners, patients and employees. We strive to expand the possibilities for patients while accelerating medical advancement at a global level. For more information, please visit JCR’s global website: https://jcrpharm.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing Acumen’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “seeks,” “aims,” “plans,” “potential,” “will,” “milestone” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning Acumen’s business, the therapeutic potential of Acumen’s product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193), and the potential to develop an EBD candidate to treat Alzheimer's Disease utilizing blood-brain-barrier (BBB) technology. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Acumen management, and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing safe and effective human therapeutics. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of geopolitical events and macroeconomic conditions, such as rising inflation, supply disruptions and uncertainty of credit and financial markets. These and other risks concerning Acumen’s programs are described in additional detail in Acumen’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in Acumen’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from Acumen. Additional information will be made available in other filings that Acumen makes from time to time with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Acumen expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law, whether, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investors:
Alex Braun
abraun@acumenpharm.com
Media:
Jon Yu
ICR Healthcare
AcumenPR@icrhealthcare.com
