Cassava Buoyed by New Alzheimer’s Drug Safety Finding
Cassava Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAVA) announced a potentially significant safety finding based on interim magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain data from a Phase 3 clinical trial of its lead candidate, simufilam for Alzheimer’s disease. The data suggest that simufilam is not associated with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). Cassava’s share price rose 25% following the news.
The company’s Phase 3 clinical data remains blinded.
Highlights
The new safety finding is based on an independent, interim neuroradiological evaluation of brain MRIs taken at week 40 in a blinded sub-study of 180 Alzheimer’s patients enrolled in Cassava Sciences’ on-going 76-week Phase 3 clinical trial of simufilam in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
The study MRIs were analyzed for ARIA by board-certified neuroradiologists.
ARIA is a medical term used to describe a spectrum of brain MRI imaging abnormalities, such as edema and brain bleeds, and is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s patients taking the class of drugs known as monoclonal antibodies directed against beta amyloid.
About Cassava Sciences
Cassava Sciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Austin, Texas. Our mission is to detect and treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Our product candidates have not been approved by any regulatory authority, and their safety, efficacy or other desirable attributes have not been established in humans. For more information, please visit https://www.CassavaSciences.com
