Tiziana Life Sciences Ltd (NASDAQ:TLSA) said that its experimental nasal treatment for Alzheimer’s disease showed promising results in a patient, helping reduce brain inflammation and possibly aiding in the removal of harmful protein buildup linked to the disease.
The company’s lead drug, intranasal foralumab, is a fully human antibody designed to regulate the immune system.
After treating a patient with moderate Alzheimer’s, researchers found major changes in immune cells, including CD4 and CD8 T cells and monocytes. These immune changes matched with brain scans showing less inflammation, suggesting the drug is having a positive effect.
One unexpected finding was that the treatment appeared to boost the ability of monocytes to clear away amyloid plaques — sticky protein clumps often found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. This could mean the drug helps fight both inflammation and amyloid buildup, which are key parts of the disease.
Dr. Howard Weiner, co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, called the results “highly promising.”
“This study represents a step forward in understanding the potential therapeutic role of foralumab across neuroinflammatory diseases,” Weiner said in a statement.
Based on the results and improvements noticed by the patient’s family, the patient has decided to continue the therapy for another six months.
Tiziana CEO Ivor Elrifi called the results a major step forward.
"We are thrilled by the outcomes of this immunologic analysis, which demonstrate for the first time in Alzheimer's Disease the profound immune modulatory effects of nasal foralumab,” Elrifi told shareholders.
“Beyond its established benefits in other conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis, this study suggests that nasal foralumab could offer a dual benefit of reducing brain inflammation and potentially influencing amyloid pathology."