Swiss biopharmaceutical company AC Immune has received a milestone payment from partner Life Molecular Imaging following the start of a phase II study of the tau PET tracer PI-2620.
The open-label, phase II longitudinal study is designed to evaluate the safety and imaging characteristics of PI-2620 as a PET radioligand for detecting tau deposition in the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, according to the company. The trial, which will run for approximately three years in the U.K., will compare results from these subjects against healthy control participants. PI-2620 binds to tau deposits, which are considered a precursor to Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The companies plan to use the trial results to support filings for regulatory approval in the U.S. and Europe.
