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Acumen Pharmaceuticals and JCR Pharmaceuticals Enter Strategic Collaboration to Develop Enhanced Brain Delivery™ Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Acumen Pharmaceuticals and JCR Pharmaceuticals have forged a significant strategic collaboration to develop an Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD™) therapy for Alzheimer's disease. This partnership is a crucial step towards overcoming one of the biggest hurdles in treating neurological disorders: getting therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain but also prevents many drugs from reaching their targets.

The core of this agreement combines Acumen's specialized knowledge in developing amyloid beta oligomer (AβO)-selective antibodies – particularly their lead investigational candidate, sabirnetug – with JCR's proven J-Brain Cargo® BBB-penetrating technology. Sabirnetug is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to selectively target toxic soluble AβOs, which are believed to be an early and persistent cause of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's. By combining this targeted approach with JCR's technology, which efficiently delivers drugs to the central nervous system, the companies aim to create a next-generation treatment that is not only more effective but also safer and more convenient for patients.

The collaboration builds on over a year of successful feasibility studies, confirming the potential of combining these two distinct yet complementary approaches. A key milestone for the partnership will be the preclinical candidate data package, including a non-human primate study, expected in early 2026. Following this, Acumen will have an exclusive option to develop up to two distinct drug candidates. Financially, JCR will receive an upfront payment, an additional option payment if Acumen exercises its development rights, and will be eligible for future development, commercialization, and sales milestone payments, along with single-digit royalties on any products that emerge from this collaboration. This partnership holds significant promise for advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease by offering a novel approach to drug delivery and targeting the core pathology of the disease.