Tau therapeutic agent in the works

Biopharmaceutical company Intellect Neurosciences announced Jan. 16 that a potentially disease-modifying tau agent is in the preliminary stages of validation for neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s.

The TauC3 monoclonal antibody is being evaluated at the University of California, Irvine. Frank M. LaFerla, PhD, chancellor's professor and chair of neurobiology and the Behavior School of Biological Sciences and director of the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders and colleagues revealed that the TauC3 antibody scaled down tau-related pathways of disease pathology. The results of the study have not yet been published.

"We are gratified by this compelling proof of concept data independently generated by our collaborators at the University of California, Irvine," Elliot Maza, director of Intellect Neurosciences, remarked in a release. "These important new data and growing strength of our revitalized patent portfolio, including the recent patent Allowance from the [U.S. Patent and Trademark Office] in relation to the TOC-1 monoclonal antibody targeting oligomeric tau, underscore our leadership in this area and should attract significant renewed interest from the pharmaceutical industry."

The monoclonal antibody treatment seeks pieces of tau protein exposed due to beta-amyloid burden in the brain. Fragmentation of tau is thought to be caused by caspase enzymes involved in apoptosis, or cell death. Tau truncation is suspected to play a part in the development of neurofibrillary tangles. Further research is needed to develop the agent and evaluate its full impact in clinical trials.