Nazneen Dewji founded Cenna Biosciences in 2006 with a mission to develop disease modifying peptides for Alzheimer’s disease. This presentation unveils Nubytide, a novel patented peptide aimed at preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease by addressing its underlying cause. Dewji explained how Alzheimer’s disease is the primary cause of dementia and is characterised by amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, leading to cognitive decline.
As is well known, age is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, affecting one in ten people over the age of 65. Due to the rapidly aging global population, the growing rate of Alzheimer’s disease is set to become an international crisis if effective treatments aren’t developed by 2050. The disease comes with substantial with costs of care, mostly borne by families of patients.
The current landscape of treatments includes monoclonal antibodies which bond to and neutralise Aβ. However, these therapies are expensive, require IV administration, and have limited cognitive benefits with potential side effects such as brain swelling and bleeding.
Cenna’s approach with their flagship candidate Nubytide has been to target the production of Aβ rather than just removing deposited plaques, aiming to stop the disease's progression at an earlier stage. Nubytide works by binding to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) away from secretase cleavage sites, preventing the production of Aβ without affecting other essential enzymatic activities.
Preclinical studies have shown that Nubytide effectively reduces Aβ levels in transgenic mice, with subcutaneous administration proving to be effective in delivering the drug to the brain. Nubytide also offers several advantages over monoclonal antibodies, including self-administration via subcutaneous injection, affordability, and safety, as it does not cause brain swelling or bleeding.
Dewji finished by announcing that Cenna Biosciences has completed all preclinical studies and is preparing to enter phase one clinical trials, bringing Nubytide closer to potentially transforming Alzheimer's treatment.
