AbbVie Pharmaceuticals and Aliada Therapeutics announced a deal under which AbbVie will acquire Aliada. If you’re unfamiliar, Aliada is a biotech company focused on therapies using a novel blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology to address challenging central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Its lead asset is an antibody in development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

AbbVie, of course, is a publicly-traded pharma company boasting a market cap of more than $350 billion and a vast pipeline that includes 14 neurological treatments.  In addition to Alzheimer's, AbbVie's neurological segment also seeks to treat everything from Parkinson’s to Movement Disorders to Migraines.  

AbbVie got into the psychedelics space earlier this year after it inked a deal with one of our portfolio companies, Gilgamesh. That particular deal puts $65 million in Gilgamesh’s pockets, with the opportunity to make up to $1.95 billion in aggregate option fees, milestones, and tiered royalties. Indeed, we’re glad we got a very early piece of Gilgamesh.

But for more about AbbVie’s latest acquisition of Aliada, and what it means for new Alzheimer’s treatments, click here.

Silo Pharma announced results from its recent sterilization and dissolution tests of its ketamine-loaded implant designed to treat fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

The analysis of the implants demonstrated a sustained 80%+ drug release over a 7-day period, highlighting consistent drug delivery. The implants showed minimal variation in key physical properties, underscoring the safety and stability of the formulation.

The company is currently in preparation for animal studies that are expected to focus on assessing the efficacy of these dose-controlled, time-release implants.  Here’s more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/silo-pharma-reports-positive-results-123500679.html

MindBio reported a significant and sustained antidepressant response in patient follow-ups, 6 months after an 8-week treatment cycle with its lead candidate, MB22001 in Phase 2A clinical trials.

If you’re unfamiliar, MB22001 is a proprietary, self-titratable microdose of LSD which has been designed specifically for take-home use. The company has noted that it is the only organization in the world that is running multiple Phase 2 clinical trials with government approvals for take-home use and handling of a psychedelic medicine by trial patients on their own and out in the community.  

With MB 22001, patients self-administer the drug in microdoses at home, (the microdoses are sub-hallucinogenic), and patients are then able to get on with their day in the same way they would if they were taking any other medication.

According to company reps, the Phase 2A clinical trial demonstrated excellent safety, adherence and tolerance profile in doses tested. This was consistent with the Phase 1 trial results. The anti-depressant effects are sustained at 6 months post treatment with a 72% reduction in depressive symptoms and 58% complete remission from depression. Check it out: https://feeds.issuerdirect.com/news-release.html?newsid=7207716577024003

Did you know there’s a new Parkinson’s Trial underway that focuses on the interplay between exercise and genetics? 

The new five-year trial will build upon previous research into the disease-modifying effects of aerobic exercise on the progression of PD symptoms. It will investigate whether an established cycling regimen can be as effective when transferred from a controlled clinical environment to the setting of community-based exercise facilities.

It’s also looking to see if genetics plays a role in modulating the disease-altering potential of aerobic exercise.

Many clinicians already recommend a high-intensity exercise regimen with the aim of improving motor symptoms and slowing progression. As well, there are completed in-lab and in-home studies that indicate exercise is effective in improving symptoms and slowing the progression.  

Researchers believe that in the best-case scenario, this latest trial could yield results that indicate that people with Parkinson’s can get the same benefits from participating in a regimen done at a community facility as they do in a clinical setting. This would have a profound impact for patients who don’t live close to larger medical centers and hospitals. Check it out: https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/new-parkinsons-trial-focuses-on-interplay-between-exercise-and-genetics