Sangamo BioSciences Presentats Positive Data from Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Sangamo BioSciences

announced today the presentation of positive data from the Phase 1 clinical trial of CERE-110 (AAV-NGF), a gene therapy approach designed to deliver nerve growth factor (NGF) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This novel product was developed by Ceregene, Inc., which was recently acquired by Sangamo. The data were presented at the Sixth Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) Meeting, which is being held in San Diego from November 14-16, 2013.  (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130102/SF35903LOGO) The data from this dose escalation study demonstrate that surgical delivery of CERE-110 to the brain results in the long-term expression of bioactive NGF, the therapeutic protein.  Clinicians also observed apparent stabilization of brain cell metabolic activity in treated subjects, as determined by PET-scans measuring glucose use, which may reflect a slowing of cell deterioration. The treatment was well-tolerated at all dose levels. "These early clinical data demonstrate that this therapeutic approach is feasible, well-tolerated and results in appropriate delivery of the therapeutic, NGF protein, to the intended target cells in the brain," said Paul Aisen, M.D., Project