AriBio, currently conducting global phase 3 clinical trials for its multi-mechanism oral Alzheimer's treatment, said it has been selected to take part in Severance Hospital’s Korea-U.S. Innovation R&D Project.

The initiative focuses on developing innovative therapeutic technologies targeting metabolic diseases through gut-brain interaction. Alzheimer’s patients often exhibit impaired insulin usage in the brain, leading to disruptions in insulin signaling pathways and energy metabolism, which in turn affects brain function, memory, and cognition. This has led to Alzheimer's being dubbed "Type 3 diabetes."

The project will be led by Professor Ku Cheol-ryong of the Department of Endocrinology at Severance Hospital, in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), AriBio, Arontier, and Yonsei University College of Medicine's Biomedical Science Department.

During the initiative, Professor Ku’s team will leverage its research capabilities from the ongoing phase 3 clinical trials of AR1001 to explore the treatment mechanisms of metabolic diseases targeting gut-brain interaction.

The research will also investigate expanding the indications of AR1001 as an Alzheimer’s treatment and developing a combination therapy.

The research team will receive 3.5 billion won ($2.5 million) from the government, with additional resources and infrastructure provided by UCSD and AriBio.

“The project aims to comprehensively understand glucose sensing and response mechanisms, along with addiction mechanisms, to develop therapeutic mechanisms for metabolic diseases through gut-brain interaction and expand the indications for these targets,” Professor Ku said. “This will help us secure global original technologies related to appetite and cognitive regulation."

AriBio CEO Choung Jai-jun also said, "The regulation mechanism of metabolic diseases represents a new approach to Alzheimer’s treatment development.”

The company believes that developing a combination therapy with AR1001, currently in global phase 3 trials, could revolutionize the treatment paradigm for Alzheimer's disease, Choung added.