Alector, a privately held biotechnology company pioneering immuno-neurology, a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegeneration, today announced the initiation of its Phase 1 trial called INFRONT, which is evaluating AL001, the company's product candidate for the treatment of a genetically-defined sub-population of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
"We are excited to initiate our first clinical trial for this devastating disorder," said Robert Paul, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of Alector. "Our clinical trials are anchored in state-of-the-art biomarkers, brain imaging modalities, and cognitive tests that will allow us to monitor disease progression and treatment response rapidly and accurately. We look forward to progressing AL001 through clinical development towards our goal of bringing a new treatment option to patients in need."
"In order to increase awareness about FTD and ensure effective patient access to our trials, we have established relations with patient registries, advocacy organizations, key opinion leaders and dementia centers," said Omer Siddiqui, vice president of development operations at Alector. "We look forward to working with these groups as we advance the AL001 program."
AL001-1 Phase 1 Trial
The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of AL001 in healthy volunteers and participants with frontotemporal dementia that carry the GRN mutation, known as FTD-GRN.