AbbVie has announced the acquisition of Aliada Therapeutics for $1.4 billion in cash, strengthening its position in neuroscience drug development. The deal centers on Aliada’s novel blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology and its lead Alzheimer’s disease candidate, ALIA-1758, a development particularly significant given that women represent nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Aliada’s proprietary MODEL platform enables high-precision central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery by targeting transferrin and CD98 receptors highly expressed in brain endothelial cells. This technology addresses a critical challenge in CNS drug development: the ability to effectively deliver therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier.
“Neuroscience is one of our key growth areas and we are 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,” said Roopal Thakkar, M.D., executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. “This acquisition immediately positions us to advance ALIA-1758, a potentially best-in-class disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.”
The company’s lead candidate, ALIA-1758, is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. The anti-pyroglutamate amyloid beta antibody utilizes the platform’s BBB-crossing capability to target amyloid beta plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
“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,” said Michael Ryan, M.D., chief medical officer at Aliada Therapeutics.
The development holds particular promise for women’s health, as women not only face higher rates of Alzheimer’s diagnosis but also typically experience faster cognitive decline once diagnosed. Additionally, women make up more than 60% of Alzheimer’s caregivers, creating a double burden on women’s health and wellbeing.
The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. Aliada’s development has been supported by prominent healthcare investors including Johnson & Johnson Innovation, RA Capital Management, OrbiMed, and Sanofi Ventures since its founding in 2021.
