Alzheimer's vaccine gets European patent

The Vienna-based company, Affiris, announced that it has been granted a Europe-wide patent for a pool of peptide sequences that are key elements of its Alzheimer’s vaccine. The company will be able to use these newly patented components to manufacture an optimised vaccine against beta-amyloid, the peptide responsible for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

“This patent is an ideal addition to the Affiris patent portfolio,” said Dr Walter Schmidt, CEO of the company.

“Our protected Affitome technology enables us to target the relevant structures of human rogue proteins.

“This new patent grants us the commercial rights of use for this technology in relation to Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, Affiris is now the only company entitled to develop an optimised Alzheimer’s vaccine that will overcome the problem of potential autoimmune reaction,” he said.

In the past, the issue of potential autoimmune reaction has led to other companies dropping development programmes for Alzheimer’s vaccines during the initial stages. The problem is that the disease-causing peptide, beta-amyloid, is present in two forms — detached in brain fluid or as part of a protein (APP) in brain cells. Only detached beta-amyloid is dangerous, so an immune response which does not distinguish one from the other could affect healthy brain cell function.

The patented Affitome technology makes it possible to manufacture a vaccine that directs the immune system to attack only the harmful form of beta-amyloid.

The first Alzheimer’s vaccine from Affiris, known as AD01, is currently involved in a phase I clinical trial, due to be completed by mid-2008.