 in Toronto this week, Roche and Genentech unveiled research from the front lines of Alzheimer’s disease, where medicine, diagnostics, and technology converge in hopes of altering the trajectory of a disease that continues to outpace diagnosis and treatment worldwide.){kind=link}
At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto this week, Roche and Genentech unveiled research from the front lines of Alzheimer’s disease, where medicine, diagnostics, and technology converge in hopes of altering the trajectory of a disease that continues to outpace diagnosis and treatment worldwide.
The centerpiece? A bioengineered antibody called trontinemab, now under the spotlight for its ability to breach the brain’s protective barrier and clear amyloid plaques.
Nature doesn’t give up its secrets easily, least of all the brain. But Roche’s Brainshuttle™ technology may have found a key. The antibody trontinemab, designed to cross the blood-brain barrier with molecular precision, showed deep plaque-clearing potential in early trials. In one group, 91% of patients dropped below a critical amyloid threshold in just 28 weeks.
Now, two large Phase III trials (TRONTIER 1 & 2) are being prepared to test trontinemab in people with early symptoms. Another trial will target those before symptoms appear.
Also announced: new data on Elecsys® pTau217, a blood test showing performance similar to PET scans and spinal fluid analysis. This test could speed up diagnosis and help rule out patients unlikely to benefit from treatment, easing burden on patients and the system alike.
Roche/Genentech highlighted presentations:
| Abstract Title | Presentation | Date / Time (EDT) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals | Next wave of innovation in Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics | FRS Talk 1, Room 718 | July 27, 2–3:30pm |
| Brainshuttle™ AD study results | FRS Talk 2, Room 718 | July 27, 2–3:30pm | |
| Interim trontinemab biomarker results | FRS Talk 3, Room 718 | July 27, 2–3:30pm | |
| TRONTIER 1 & 2 trial designs | FRS Talk 4, Room 718 | July 27, 2–3:30pm | |
| Diagnostics | Plasma rule-out test impact | Poster #102729 | July 27, 7:30am–4:15pm |
| Elecsys pTau217 performance | Poster #96679 | July 28, 7:30am–4:15pm | |
| pTau217/Aβ42 ratio vs single marker | Oral #108585 | July 29, 2–3:30pm | |
| CSF biomarker accuracy meta-analysis | Poster #100941 | July 28, 7:30am–4:15pm | |
| Equity in diagnostic trials | Poster #102804 | July 30, 7:30am–4:15pm | |
| Referral type differences | Poster #108110 | July 30, 7:30am–4:15pm |
Full schedule of presentations available at the AAIC website here.