NI101B3 is a next-generation therapeutic antibody designed to deplete amyloid-beta in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Neurimmune aims to address key limitations of current therapies by enhancing efficacy while improving tolerability and reducing treatment burden for patients. NI101B3 is currently in preclinical development.
Beta Amyloid
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the beta amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles in patient brains. Genetic information unequivocally points to an important role of beta amyloid in causing damage to neurons and synapses, followed by multiple downstream cellular reactions such as neuroinflammation and neurofibrillary tangle formation.
By using PET imaging of the brain beta amyloid plaques are detectable up to twenty years prior to the development of the clinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease including memory loss, difficulties of spatial orientation and word finding, deficits in performing normal activities of daily living and problems driving a car.
Tau
Neurofibrillary tangles in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease are composed of aggregated tau proteins which accumulate in nerve cell bodies as well as outside of nerve cells in the form of neuropil tau threads. Researchers believe that tau pathology can be initiated by beta amyloid toxicity but once formed can cause downstream damage to neurons independently of beta amyloid. Therefore, tau is increasingly recognized as a prime therapeutic target for treatments designed to remove tau in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
NI101B3
Neurimmune discovered aducanumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody to effectively deplete brain amyloid of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (Sevigny et al., Nature, 2016). Building on Neurimmune’s deep expertise in Alzheimer's disease and the discovery of first-generation amyloid depleters for the brain, the company is developing NI101B3 as a next‑generation therapeutic antibody engineered to selectively deplete amyloid‑beta aggregates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. NI101B3 is designed to achieve robust target engagement while addressing key shortcomings of first‑generation amyloid‑directed therapies.
Improving brain delivery is a critical step toward unlocking the full potential of antibody therapeutics in neurodegenerative disease.
Jan Grimm, CSO