AbbVie forks out $1.4bn to buy Alzheimer’s therapy developer Aliada

AbbVie is expanding its neuroscience portfolio through the proposed acquisition of Aliada, a biotechnology firm focused on using blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology to address central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

In its Q2 2024 financial results, the firm reported over a 15% year-on-year increase in neuroscience generated revenue, totaling $4.1 billion. This growth includes contributions from the antipsychotic drug Vraylar (cariprazine), Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), and the migraine medication Ubrelvy (ubrogepant).

However, despite positive results in its neuroscience division, AbbVie faces a 36% decline in sales of its blockbuster arthritis monoclonal antibody (mAb) Humira (adalimumab). Once the top-selling drug of all time, the firm now has competition from various cheaper biosimilar versions of the drug.

Now, the firm has set its sights on neuroscience. Roopal Thakkar, executive vice president, R&D and chief scientific officer at AbbVie, marking it as one of the firm’s “key growth areas” and said it is “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.”

"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."

ALIA-1758 is an anti-pyroglutamate amyloid beta (3pE-Aβ) antibody in development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The lead investigational candidate (currently in a Phase I clinical trial) works by using TfR to move a 3pE-Aβ antibody across the BBB to facilitate degradation and removal of amyloid beta plaques, a trademark of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to gaining ALIA-1758, AbbVie will also add the firm’s MODEL platform to its assets.

According to Michael Ryan, chief medical officer at Aliada, this platform “has enabled the development of ALIA-1758, a promising step forward in brain delivery of an anti-amyloid antibody therapy. 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." 

The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter this year, subject to specific conditions.