Peptide News Digest

AAIC 2026 Monday: Vaccinex Pepinemab Featured Research Session on Glial Biomarkers in Early Alzheimer's, Voyager VY1706 6-Month GLP Toxicology Extends Tau Reduction to 75% in NHP, Eisai Etalanetug (E2814) Reduces Plasma MTBR-Tau243 Biomarker by 78% at 3 Months and Over 90% at 9 Months, Longeveron Laromestrocel Stabilizes Brain Inflammation via Free Water MRI in Alzheimer's Disease, Pfizer Names Danna Breen VP and Head of Obesity Discovery Following Kendra Bence Departure

AAIC 2026 Monday: Vaccinex pepinemab glial biomarker session; Voyager VY1706 75% tau reduction at 6 months; Eisai etalanetug reduces MTBR-tau243; Longeveron laromestrocel data; Pfizer obesity discovery VP.

5 stories · Covering clinical-trials, industry

Editor's Note

AAIC 2026's first working day converged on tau. Vaccinex chair Elizabeth Evans, PhD ran the Featured Research Session 'Alzheimer's therapy: mechanisms beyond amyloid,' presenting SIGNAL-AD Phase 1b/2 data showing that pepinemab (anti-SEMA4D humanized IgG4 antibody) regulates glial biomarkers associated with disease progression, with a Phase 2b SIGNAL-AD2 study following. Voyager Therapeutics released updated 6-month GLP toxicology data for VY1706, its BBB-crossing AAV gene therapy targeting tau: single IV dose delivered 75% tau reduction in NHP key brain regions sustained through six months, with no AAV liver transaminase elevations and stable plasma neurofilament levels; first-in-human Alzheimer's dosing remains on track for H2 2026. Eisai presented anti-MTBR antibody etalanetug (E2814) plasma biomarker data showing 78% reduction in MTBR-tau243 at 3 months and greater than 90% at 9 months, with the biomarker largely absent in healthy adults and detected only in patients with dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease. Longeveron presented additional CLEAR MIND Phase 2a data showing that laromestrocel stem cell therapy stabilizes brain inflammation across gray and white matter regions on free water MRI. And Pfizer named Danna Breen VP and head of obesity discovery following Kendra Bence's departure, continuity for the berobenatide monthly GLP-1 and Metsera amylin (MET-233i) programs.

Clinical Trials

Vaccinex Chairs Featured Research Session 'Alzheimer's Therapy: Mechanisms Beyond Amyloid' at AAIC 2026 in London on Monday July 13 (9:00-10:30 AM BST), Presenting Phase 1b/2 SIGNAL-AD Data Titled 'Glial Biomarkers Associated With Disease Progression Are Regulated By SEMA4D Blocking Antibody Pepinemab in Patients With Early-Stage AD' Alongside Plans for the Expanded Randomized Phase 2b SIGNAL-AD2 Study; Elizabeth Evans, PhD (COO and Senior VP Discovery and Translational Medicine) Chairs and Presents

Vaccinex (NASDAQ: VCNX) presented new biomarker data from the Phase 1b/2 SIGNAL-AD trial of pepinemab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), at AAIC 2026 in London on Monday July 13, 2026 from 9:00-10:30 AM London time at ExCeL London. Elizabeth Evans, PhD, Chief Operating Officer and Senior VP of Discovery and Translational Medicine, chaired the Featured Research Session 'Alzheimer's therapy: mechanisms beyond amyloid' and presented results titled 'Glial Biomarkers Associated With Disease Progression Are Regulated By SEMA4D Blocking Antibody Pepinemab in Patients With Early-Stage AD.' The presentation showed that SEMA4D blockade regulates glial biomarkers associated with disease progression in early Alzheimer's disease, supporting the mechanistically distinct approach of targeting neuroinflammation and reactive astrocytes rather than amyloid or tau directly. Vaccinex outlined plans for an enlarged Phase 2b SIGNAL-AD2 study to test the intervention at scale.

#vaccinex #pepinemab #sema4d #aaic-2026 #signal-ad #signal-ad2 #elizabeth-evans #glial-biomarkers #alzheimers-disease #neuroinflammation
Clinical Trials

Voyager Therapeutics Discloses Updated Six-Month GLP Non-Human Primate Toxicology Data for VY1706 (Tau-Targeted Blood-Brain-Barrier-Crossing AAV Gene Therapy) at AAIC 2026 Monday July 13: Single Intravenous Dose Delivered Sustained Tau Protein Reduction Up to 75% in Key Brain Regions of NHPs Through Six Months (Extending the Prior 64% Reduction at Three Months), With No Adverse Clinical Pathology, No AAV Liver Transaminase Elevations, Stable Plasma Neurofilament Levels, and No Cellular Immune Activations; Initiation of Clinical Trial in Adults With Early Alzheimer's Disease Remains Expected in Second Half of 2026 Following FDA IND Clearance

Voyager Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VYGR) presented six-month Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicology data for VY1706, its investigational blood-brain-barrier-crossing AAV gene therapy targeting tau for Alzheimer's disease, in a Developing Topics late-breaking poster at AAIC 2026 in London on Monday July 13, 2026. The updated six-month data extends the prior three-month timepoint (64% reduction reported earlier this month): a single intravenous dose delivered sustained tau protein reduction up to 75% in key brain regions of non-human primates over six months. VY1706 was well tolerated with no adverse clinical pathology and no histopathological findings up to the highest dose tested. Notably, the program showed none of the typical AAV liver transaminase elevations at any dose level throughout six months, plasma neurofilament levels remained generally stable with no dose-related increases, and there were no cellular immune activations. Voyager received FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance for VY1706, enabling initiation of a clinical trial in adults with early Alzheimer's disease with dosing expected in the second half of 2026.

#voyager-therapeutics #vygr #vy1706 #tau #aav-gene-therapy #blood-brain-barrier #aaic-2026 #alzheimers-disease #nhp-toxicology #ind-clearance
Clinical Trials

Eisai Presents Anti-MTBR Antibody Etalanetug (E2814) Plasma Biomarker Data at AAIC 2026 Featured Research Session: Etalanetug Reduced Plasma MTBR-Tau243 by 78% at 3 Months and by More Than 90% at 9 Months, With the Biomarker Largely Absent in Healthy Adults and Detected Only in Patients With Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease (DIAD), Reflecting Disease-Related Tau Neurofibrillary Tangle Pathology That Blood-Test Monitoring Can Now Track

Eisai announced Monday July 13, 2026 that its investigational anti-microtubule-binding region (MTBR) tau antibody etalanetug (development code E2814) reduced levels of plasma extracellular MTBR-tau243 (eMTBR-tau243), a novel fluid biomarker of Alzheimer's disease tau tangle pathology, in findings presented during a Featured Research Session at AAIC 2026 in London. Etalanetug reduced plasma eMTBR-tau243 by 78% at 3 months and by more than 90% at 9 months. The biomarker was largely absent in healthy adults and detected only in patients with dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease (DIAD), suggesting it reflects disease-related tau pathology at the pathological source (neurofibrillary tangle formation) rather than tau physiology broadly. eMTBR-tau243 consists of tau fragments that include amino acid residue 243 and MTBR sequences, arising during the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, and can now be measured with a blood test to track tau pathology non-invasively. Etalanetug is Eisai's second-generation Alzheimer's antibody program beyond lecanemab (LEQEMBI, amyloid protofibril-directed), extending the company's franchise from amyloid to tau.

#eisai #etalanetug #e2814 #tau #mtbr-tau243 #biomarker #aaic-2026 #alzheimers-disease #diad #anti-mtbr-antibody #blood-biomarker
Clinical Trials

Longeveron Presents Additional CLEAR MIND Phase 2a Data at AAIC 2026 Poster Session Monday July 13: Laromestrocel Stem Cell Therapy Stabilizes Brain Inflammation in Key Gray and White Matter Regions in Patients With Mild Alzheimer's Disease as Assessed by Free Water MRI, Providing Support for a Durable Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism of Action With Potential Blood Biomarker Correlates; CLEAR MIND Phase 2a Results Previously Published in Nature Medicine in March 2025

Longeveron (NASDAQ: LGVN) presented additional CLEAR MIND Phase 2a clinical data analysis for laromestrocel, its investigational allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (Medicinal Signaling Cell) therapy, at AAIC 2026 in London on Monday July 13, 2026 from 7:30 AM-4:15 PM BST. The poster titled 'Laromestrocel Stabilizes Brain Inflammation In Key Alzheimer's Disease Gray And White Matter Regions As Assessed Using Free Water MRI' extends the CLEAR MIND Phase 2a program that Longeveron first published in Nature Medicine in March 2025. Free water MRI, a diffusion-based imaging technique that quantifies extracellular water and correlates with neuroinflammation, showed that laromestrocel-treated patients maintained stable brain inflammation levels in key gray and white matter regions relevant to Alzheimer's disease pathology. The findings support a clinically relevant and durable anti-inflammatory mechanism of action for laromestrocel and indicate potential blood biomarker correlates for tracking treatment response. Laromestrocel is administered as an intravenous infusion; the program targets neuroinflammation as a disease-modifying mechanism distinct from amyloid and tau approaches.

#longeveron #lgvn #laromestrocel #aaic-2026 #clear-mind #phase-2a #alzheimers-disease #stem-cell-therapy #free-water-mri #neuroinflammation #mesenchymal-stem-cell
Industry

Pfizer Names Danna Breen Vice President and Head of Obesity Discovery on Monday July 13 Following Kendra Bence Departure After More Than a Decade at Kendall Square Research Site; Breen Advances Through Multiple Roles From Research Associate to Senior Principal Scientist Working on Novel Obesity Drug Targets and Research Collaborations, Inheriting the Berobenatide Monthly GLP-1 Program and the Metsera Amylin (MET-233i) Franchise Acquired in the November 2025 $10 Billion Deal Ahead of Extensive 2026 Phase 3 Obesity Program

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) named Danna Breen Vice President and head of obesity discovery on Monday July 13, 2026, following the departure of longtime scientific leader Kendra Bence. Bence had led internal medicine research across metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (formerly known as NASH) and obesity discovery at Pfizer's Kendall Square research site for more than a decade, and described the role as 'the absolute privilege of my career' when announcing her exit. Breen advanced through multiple roles at Pfizer including Research Associate, Fellow, Senior Principal Scientist, Principal Scientist, and Senior Scientist, working on novel obesity drug targets and research collaborations. The role transition arrives as Pfizer's obesity portfolio expands substantially: the monthly GLP-1 receptor agonist berobenatide (PF-3944) is advancing through 10 planned Phase 3 studies presented at ADA 2026 in June, and the November 2025 $10 billion Metsera acquisition brought in the amylin peptide MET-233i (positive Phase 1 data supporting monthly dosing). Endpoints News concurrently reported AI startup Xaira making its own leadership adjustments as the sector's talent map continues to reshape.

#pfizer #danna-breen #kendra-bence #obesity-discovery #leadership #berobenatide #metsera #met-233i #amylin #glp-1