NEWTON, Mass., July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABOS) (Acumen), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that target soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), will present three key studies at the upcoming Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC®) 2026 in London. Shared in one oral and two poster presentations, the data highlight Acumen’s progress with JCR Pharmaceuticals (JCR), in developing next generation therapeutics through Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD) technology and expanding the field’s understanding of early symptomatic AD through the patient lens. The conference will be held July 12-15, 2026, both in-person and online.
“AAIC provides an important forum to share data that reflect Acumen’s continued progress in advancing AβO-targeting science and our commitment to patient-centered research,” said Eric Siemers, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Acumen Pharmaceuticals. “This year’s presentations include preclinical work from our collaboration with JCR evaluating our EBD technology, as well as patient-perspective research from ALTITUDE-AD that may help inform the development of future treatment approaches for early Alzheimer’s disease.”
Acumen’s presentation details are as follows:
Oral Presentation
Title: Bispecific Antibodies that Bind Aβ Oligomers and Transferrin Receptors Show Enhanced Brain Delivery in Cynomolgus Monkeys
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 15 at 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. BST
Session Name: Developing Topics in Preclinical Models
Session Number: 4-7-DEV
Presenting Author: Paul Shughrue, PhD, Vice President, Program Leader and Head of Research, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Poster Presentations
Topic: Utilizing the Transferrin Receptor-Mediated Transport System for Enhanced Brain Delivery of anti-Aβ Oligomer Antibodies (5267)
Date/Time: Monday, July 13 at 7:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. BST
Session Title: Drug Development: Human
Session Number: P2-01
Presenting Author: Erika Cline, PhD, Associate Director, Non-Clinical Development, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Topic: Understanding Early Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease Through Patient Perspectives: Findings from the ALTITUDE-AD Trial Population (5441)
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 14 at 7:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. BST
Session Title: Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors: Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors
Session Number: P3-11
Presenting Author: Stephanie Cline, PhD, Health Outcomes Consultant, Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Presentations from Acumen’s EBD research program are part of an ongoing collaboration between Acumen and JCR announced in July 2025. This collaboration leverages Acumen’s AβO-selective antibody expertise and JCR’s transferrin-receptor-targeting technology, J-Brain Cargo®, with the goal of improving drug delivery to the brain and developing a more effective treatment option with an improved safety profile to slow or prevent neurodegeneration associated with AD.
About Sabirnetug (ACU193)
Sabirnetug (ACU193) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovered and developed based on its selectivity for soluble amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs), which are a highly toxic and pathogenic form of Aβ, relative to Aβ monomers and amyloid plaques. Soluble AβOs have been observed to be potent neurotoxins that bind to neurons, inhibit synaptic function and induce neurodegeneration. By selectively targeting toxic soluble AβOs, sabirnetug aims to address the hypothesis that soluble AβOs are an early and persistent underlying cause of the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sabirnetug has been granted Fast Track designation for the treatment of early AD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 study in patients with early AD.
About ALTITUDE-AD (Phase 2)
Initiated in 2024, ALTITUDE-AD is a Phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sabirnetug (ACU193) infusions administered once every four weeks in slowing cognitive and functional decline as compared to placebo in participants with early Alzheimer's disease. The study has enrolled 542 individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD) at multiple investigative sites located in the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. Topline results are expected in late 2026. More information can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT identifier NCT06335173.
About Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Acumen Pharmaceuticals is 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). Acumen’s scientific founders pioneered research on AβOs, which a growing body of evidence indicates are early and persistent triggers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Acumen is currently focused on advancing its investigational product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193), a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets toxic soluble AβOs, in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial ALTITUDE-AD (NCT06335173) in early symptomatic AD, following positive results in its Phase 1 trial INTERCEPT-AD. Acumen is investigating a subcutaneous formulation of sabirnetug using Halozyme’s proprietary ENHANZE® drug delivery technology. Acumen is also collaborating with JCR Pharmaceuticals to develop an Enhanced Brain Delivery™ (EBD™)-enabled therapy for Alzheimer’s disease utilizing a transferrin-receptor-targeting blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology. The company is headquartered in Newton, Mass. For more information, visit www.acumenpharm.com.
About the J-Brain Cargo® Platform Technology
JCR Pharmaceuticals has developed a proprietary blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrating technology, J-Brain Cargo®, to bring biotherapeutics into the central nervous system (CNS). The first drug developed based on this technology is IZCARGO™ (INN: pabinafusp alfa) and is approved in Japan for the treatment of a lysosomal storage disorder.
About JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.
JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is a global specialty pharmaceutical company that develops treatments that go beyond rare diseases to solve the world’s most complex healthcare challenges. JCR continues to build upon our 50-year legacy in Japan while expanding our global footprint into the US, Europe, and Latin America. JCR’s innovative therapies address conditions like growth disorder, MPS II, Fabry disease, acute graft-versus-host disease, and renal anemia. JCR is also developing treatments for rare diseases like MPS I, MPS II, MPS IIIA and B, and more. For more information, visit https://jcrpharm.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing Acumen’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “seeks,” “aims,” “plans,” “potential,” “will,” “milestone” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning Acumen’s business, the therapeutic potential of Acumen’s product candidate, sabirnetug (ACU193), and the potential to develop a candidate to treat Alzheimer's Disease utilizing EBD technology. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Acumen management, and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing safe and effective human therapeutics. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of geopolitical events and macroeconomic conditions, such as rising inflation and interest rates, supply disruptions and uncertainty of credit and financial markets. These and other risks concerning Acumen’s programs are described in additional detail in Acumen’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in Acumen’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from Acumen. Additional information will be made available in other filings that Acumen makes from time to time with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Acumen expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law, whether, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investors:
Alex Braun
abraun@acumenpharm.com
Media:
ICR Healthcare
AcumenPR@icrhealthcare.com
