AriBio to present clinical updates on dementia drug AR1005 at MDS Congress in Philadelphia

AriBio will present clinical development updates on AR1005, a drug for treating Lewy body dementia, at the upcoming MDS/International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder, which will be held from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 in Philadelphia, Pa.

AR1005 is being developed as an oral treatment for dementia with Lewy body as part of AriBio's pipeline of neurodegenerative diseases.

Lewy body dementia is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease. While approximately 3.8 percent of dementia cases are clinically diagnosed as Lewy body dementia, studies suggest that the true prevalence, based on pathology, may range from 15 to 50 percent. Currently, there are limited symptomatic treatments but no cure.

AR1005 reduces sodium channel activity and increases key neurotransmitters that inhibit the central nervous system, reducing fluctuations in cognitive function and slowing cognitive deterioration in patients.

In particular, it is evaluated as a new drug that can comprehensively treat people with dementia with Lewy body by reducing hallucinations. Currently, AR1005 is in phase 2 clinical trials led by Professor Ye Byoung-seok of the Department of Neurology at Severance Hospital, and imaging and blood biomarker studies are underway to evaluate efficacy and safety and accurately diagnose Lewy body dementia.

At the 2024 MDS meeting, Dr. David Greeley, AriBio’s chief medical officer who comprehensively oversees clinical affairs in the U.S., will provide an overview of AR1005's mechanism of action, clinical design, progress, and future development.

Dr. Greeley, a world-renowned neurologist and leader in dementia clinical medicine, joined AriBio in September 2022 after serving as a professor of neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. There, he led the global phase 3 clinical trial of AR1001 in the U.S.

During his 22 years as the director of the Northwest Neurology Clinical Research Center, Dr. Greeley has led more than 60 major clinical trials in treating and preventing dementia globally. According to AriBio, he is one of the most prolific neurologists enrolling patients in clinical trials of globally approved and in-development medicines, including AR1001 in a phase 2 study and trials of aducanumab, donanemab, and lecanemab.