Acumen Names Two Enhanced Brain Delivery Candidates
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities stood at $110.2 million as of June 30, 2026, after a March private placement that had lifted the balance from $116.9 million at year-end 2025.
Acumen Pharmaceuticals (ABOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics that target toxic soluble amyloid beta oligomers for Alzheimer’s disease, nominated two Enhanced Brain Delivery candidates in June as part of exercising its option under its license agreement with JCR Pharmaceuticals.
ACU301 and ACU401 were nominated as development candidates in the EBD program, which combines a validated blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology with an AβO-selective therapeutic antibody. The candidates are designed to achieve higher brain penetration with potential for improved safety compared with native antibodies and to be delivered in a stable, low-volume subcutaneous format.
In July, Acumen announced EBD program data at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Bispecific antibodies targeting both AβOs and the human transferrin receptor showed improved brain penetration compared with native anti-AβO antibodies, which may enable administration with a low-volume delivery device and reduce the delivered dose required for efficacy. ACU401 achieved up to 40-fold greater frontal cortex exposure in non-human primates, with significant increases in deep brain regions. No hematological safety signals, including effects on reticulocytes, were observed in those animals.
Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Connell said the company remained focused on readout preparations for ALTITUDE-AD, a Phase 2 study of sabirnetug (ACU193) in early Alzheimer’s disease, with topline results expected later in 2026. The company reiterated that a lead clinical candidate IND filing in the EBD program is targeted for mid-2027.
ALTITUDE-AD is a Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that has enrolled 542 participants with early Alzheimer’s disease across the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. The study compares two active intravenous doses of sabirnetug, 35 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg every four weeks, against placebo over an 18-month double-blinded period. Topline results are expected to include iADRS, the primary efficacy endpoint, as well as CDR-SB, adverse event rates including ARIA rates, and key biomarkers.
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $110.2 million as of June 30, 2026, down from $128.4 million as of March 31, 2026. Cash is expected to support current clinical and operational activities into early 2027.
Research and development expenses were $27.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared with $37.1 million a year earlier. The decrease was primarily due to reductions in manufacturing and materials costs and CRO costs associated with ALTITUDE-AD. General and administrative expenses were $4.7 million.
Loss from operations was $32.6 million, reflecting lower R&D expenses. Net loss was $32.7 million, or $0.45 a share, versus $41.0 million, or $0.68 a share, a year earlier. Weighted-average shares outstanding were 72.3 million.
Interest income was $1.1 million in the June quarter. Interest expense was $1.1 million.
Accounts payable were $13.4 million at June 30, 2026. Short-term debt was $19.7 million and long-term debt was $11.9 million. Shares outstanding were 72.3 million, and additional paid-in capital was $557.2 million.
Sabirnetug is a humanized IgG2 monoclonal antibody granted Fast Track designation for early Alzheimer’s disease. Acumen is also investigating a subcutaneous formulation using Halozyme’s ENHANZE technology.
The company continues to advance IND-enabling activities toward a mid-2027 IND submission for a lead EBD candidate.
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