Aliada Therapeutics specializes in therapeutics with the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and achieve targeted delivery to the brain.
Pharma giant AbbVie is to acquire neurodegeneration-focused biotech Aliada Therapeutics for $1.4 billion in cash. Through the agreement, AbbVie will gain access to Aliada’s lead compound, ALIA-1758, an antibody aimed at reducing the amyloid plaques long linked to Alzheimer’s pathology. ALIA-1758 is distinguished by its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and thus achieve targeted delivery to the brain.
Aliada’s lead candidate is designed to transport a 3pE-Aβ antibody across the BBB by binding to the TfR receptor. This mechanism is intended to help degrade and eliminate amyloid beta plaques, a major contributor to Alzheimer’s pathology. Currently, ALIA-1758 is undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial focused on assessing its safety and tolerability in healthy individuals.
That AbbVie is prepared to spend big on a company that is only in Phase 1 trials is an indicator that Aliada’s platform technology is also of great interest to the pharma firm, providing a potential foundation for the development of future central nervous system (CNS) therapies. In addition to the transferrin receptor-targeting model used in ALIA-1758, the platform also employs CD98 binders to enable the delivery of various biological molecules, including therapeutic antibodies and genetic medicines. With its flexibility and high therapeutic potential, it is thought platform could help AbbVie develop new treatments for other neurological conditions.
“This acquisition immediately positions us to advance ALIA-1758, a potentially best-in-class disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease,” said AbbVie CSO Dr Roopal Thakkar. “In addition, Aliada’s novel BBB-crossing technology strengthens our R&D capabilities to accelerate the development of next-generation therapies for neurological disorders and other diseases where enhanced delivery of therapeutics into the CNS is beneficial.”
Founded in 2021, Boston-based Aliada Therapeutics, was established with a primary focus on overcoming challenges in delivering therapeutics to the CNS, and had quietly gone about its business until now. The company’s Modular Delivery (MODEL) platform was initially created by scientists at Johnson & Johnson and subsequently licensed to the company at its founding. The platform, a BBB-crossing technology, represents a potential breakthrough in CNS drug delivery, especially for large molecule therapeutics and genetic medicines.
The MODEL platform specifically targets the transferrin (TfR) and CD98 receptors, which are prominent in brain endothelial cells, to facilitate efficient transport of diverse biological cargoes across the BBB. Through this technology, Aliada aims to provide high exposure of therapeutics within the brain compared to other CNS delivery methods.
“Many promising CNS-targeted therapies fail to reach late-stage trials due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier,” said Dr Michael Ryan, chief medical officer at Aliada. “Our MODEL platform addresses this challenge directly, efficiently delivering targeted drugs and potentially transforming how we treat neurological diseases.”
Early financial support for Aliada was provided by Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC, Inc), RA Capital Management and Raven, with additional investment from OrbiMed and Sanofi Ventures. The acquisition, valued at $1.4 billion, is projected to close in the final quarter of 2024 pending regulatory approvals and customary conditions.
