Acumen Pharma Cuts Alzheimer's Trial Costs with Blood Test, Saves 40%

Acumen Pharmaceuticals has reduced trial screening costs for its Alzheimer's treatment by 40% using a plasma pTau217 screening assay in its Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD study. The assay identified nearly half of volunteers as eligible for confirmatory testing, minimizing unnecessary procedures and speeding up enrollment. The company's sabirnetug demonstrated strong binding to toxic amyloid-ß oligomers and minimal affinity for monomers, outperforming other Alzheimer's treatments.

Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABOS) has significantly reduced trial screening costs for its Alzheimer's treatment, sabirnetug, by implementing a plasma pTau217 screening assay in its Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD study. The innovative assay has cut costs by approximately 40%, highlighting the company's commitment to cost-effective clinical trial strategies.

The ALTITUDE-AD study, initiated in 2024, aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sabirnetug in slowing cognitive and functional decline in early Alzheimer's disease patients. The two-step screening process using the pTau217 biomarker assay has proven efficient, with nearly half of participants meeting the threshold for confirmatory testing. Among those who passed the initial screening, 81% successfully met amyloid positivity eligibility requirements, minimizing unnecessary amyloid PET scans and lumbar puncture procedures.

Sabirnetug, a humanized monoclonal antibody, demonstrated superior selectivity for toxic amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) over monomers. The assay showed sabirnetug achieved the highest binding affinities to AβO preparations among tested monoclonal antibodies. With an 8,750-fold selectivity for Aβ1-42 stabilized oligomers over Aβ1-40 monomers, sabirnetug outperformed other Alzheimer's treatments, supporting its differentiated mechanism of action.

The results of the ALTITUDE-AD study were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto and online, from July 27-31, 2025. Acumen Pharmaceuticals' Chief Medical Officer, Eric Siemers, M.D., emphasized the importance of these advances in addressing the critical need for effective treatments targeting toxic AβOs in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease, while simultaneously demonstrating patient-centric and cost-effective trial execution strategies.

References:
[1] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/28/3122403/0/en/Acumen-Pharmaceuticals-Presents-Studies-Showing-the-Utility-of-a-pTau217-Assay-in-Screening-for-a-Phase-2-Alzheimer-s-Disease-Trial-and-Validates-Sabirnetug-Oligomer-Selectivity-at.html