AbbVie Agrees to Terms to Acquire Aliada Therapeutics

Image Credit: Adobe Stock Images/Syed Qaseem Raza

AbbVie has announced that it has acquired Aliada Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. According to the company, the acquisition includes Aliada’s lead asset, ALIA-1758, an anti-pyroglutamate amyloid beta (3pE-Aβ) antibody in development to treat Alzheimer disease (AD). The acquisition is expected to strengthen AbbVie’s R&D capabilities by leveraging Aliada's novel blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology, the MODEL platform.

The MODEL platform was developed to target specific receptors on brain cells to transport drugs across the BBB, including transferrin and CD98 receptors, which are highly expressed in brain endothelial cells. According to AbbVie, ALIA-1757, which is currently in Phase I of clinical trials, harnesses this platform to target amyloid beta plaques, a major marker of AD. It is also designed to deliver a number of biological cargoes into the brain, including therapeutic antibodies and genetic medicines.

"Neuroscience is one of our key growth areas and we are committed to driving innovation in this field to address critical unmet needs for patients living with seriously debilitating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease," said Roopal Thakkar, MD, EVP, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie, in a press release. "This acquisition immediately positions us to advance ALIA-1758, a potentially best-in-class disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease. In addition, Aliada's novel BBB-crossing technology strengthens our R&D capabilities to accelerate the development of next-generation therapies for neurological disorders and other diseases where enhanced delivery of therapeutics into the CNS is beneficial."

Under terms of the deal, AbbVie will acquire Aliada for $1.4 billion in cash, subject to customary adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, around 6.9 million people in the United States over 65 years of age are currently living with AD. Additionally, two-thirds of people in the United States with AD are women. Black Americans are twice as likely to have AD than white Americans, and Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have AD. It is expected that as the aging population of the United States grows, the rate of patients diagnosed with AD will grow as well.

The Alzheimer’s Association also stated that one in every three older US citizens dies as a result of AD or another form of dementia. Statistics show that the disease kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Between 2000 and 2021, deaths from AD have doubled. Further, people diagnosed with AD at 70 years of age are more likely to die before reaching 80 years of age than those who do not have the disease. Most patients over 65 years of age survive four to eight years, however, some live as long as 20 years.²

According to the World Health Organization, over 55 million people are currently living with dementia globally, with 10 million new cases being reported annually. In 2019, the condition resulted in $1.3 trillion in economic costs, half of which were attributed to informal care givers, such as family members. While AD accounts for anywhere from 60% to 70% of all cases of dementia, other forms include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and a group of diseases that contribute to frontotemporal dementia.³

"We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Aliada by AbbVie and are excited about AbbVie's commitment to bringing ALIA-1758 to patients with Alzheimer's disease. Our proprietary MODEL platform has enabled the development of ALIA-1758, a promising step forward in brain delivery of an anti-amyloid antibody therapy," said Michael Ryan, MD, chief medical officer, Aliada Therapeutics, in the press release. "Many promising CNS-targeted therapies fail to reach late-stage trials due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Our MODEL platform addresses this challenge directly, efficiently delivering targeted drugs and potentially transforming how we treat neurological diseases."

References

1. AbbVie to Acquire Aliada Therapeutics, Strengthening Focus in Alzheimer's Disease and Neuroscience Pipeline. PR Newswire. October 28, 2024. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-to-acquire-aliada-therapeutics-strengthening-focus-in-alzheimers-disease-and-neuroscience-pipeline-302288180.html

2. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer’s Association. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures#:~:text=An%20estimated%206.9%20million%20Americans,Americans%20with%20Alzheimer's%20are%20women.

3. Dementia. WHO. March 15, 2023. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia