What is "crenezumab"

n. A humanized monoclonal antibody being investigated as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Crenezumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against human 1-40 and 1-42 Beta amyloid, which is being investigated as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Crenezumab was developed by the Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company AC Immune, which licensed the drug in 2006 to Genentech, Inc. Its original name RG7412 refers to its inventor at AC Immune. Crenezumab is highly homologous to solanezumab, another monoclonal antibody targeting amyloid-β peptides.

In May 2012, it was announced that the efficacy of crenezumab will be tested in a five-year trial against early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The $100 million trial will be funded by Genentech, the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, and the National Institutes of Health. Participants in the study will be recruited from an extended family in and around Medellín, Colombia. Approximately one-third of the 5,000 family members carry an autosomal dominant allele of presenilin-1 ( PSEN1) that causes the early-onset form of Alzheimer's disease. The trial will test the effect of the drug on 300 individuals who have the PSEN1 mutation, but do not yet show symptoms of the disease.

In November 2014 at CTAD conference in Philadelphia, phase II results for the Crenezumab ABBY and BLAZE studies were presented.

ABBY study, with clinical endpoints: failed to meet the co-primary endpoints

BLAZE study, with biomarker endpoint: showed no significant difference in primary biomarker endpoint of amyloid PET between treatment group and placebo study. Similarly volumetric MRI, CSF tau, FDG PET showed no significant difference.