Acumen Pharmaceuticals, 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), has signed a collaboration agreement with Lonza, a global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutraceutical markets, which covers the manufacture of sabirnetug (ACU193), an antibody targeting toxic soluble AβOs for the treatment of AD, for clinical development and commercialization if approved.
 
Under the terms of the agreement, Lonza will manufacture the sabirnetug drug substance at its manufacturing facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (US), equipped with 2,000L single-use bioreactors. Acumen will leverage Lonza’s regulatory expertise, experience in antibody manufacturing, and global manufacturing network from 2,000L to 20,000L.
 
Sabirnetug is a humanized monoclonal antibody that demonstrated selective target engagement of AβOs in a Phase 1 first-in-human study. As AβOs are an early trigger and persistent driver of Alzheimer’s-associated synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration, sabirnetug addresses an underlying cause of Alzheimer’s by preventing toxic AβOs from binding to dendritic spines and by preserving neuronal function.
 
Stefan Egli, Global Head of Mammalian Biologics, Lonza, commented: “Our collaboration with Acumen showcases our flexibility in enabling innovative biotech companies to advance their innovative therapies on accelerated timelines. We are excited that our new, next-generation single-use manufacturing facility in Portsmouth (US) will be used to manufacture a cGMP drug substance that could bring new treatment options to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.”
 
James Doherty, President and Chief Development Officer, Acumen Pharmaceuticals, added: “As we progress into Phase 2 clinical development of sabirnetug as a potentially best-in-class treatment for early AD, we are acutely aware that patients and their families are in urgent need of safe, effective treatment options for this devastating disease. Partnering with Lonza is a critical step to ensure broader access to next-generation AD therapies.”