Acumen Pharmaceuticals Nominates Two Alzheimer's Candidates Under JCR Collaboration

On June 16, 2026, Acumen Pharmaceuticals announced the nomination of two Enhanced Brain Delivery (EBD) development candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This milestone follows the company's exercise of its option under a collaboration agreement with JCR Pharmaceuticals. The two candidates, ACU301 (a bispecific antibody derived from sabirnetug) and ACU401 (based on the novel antibody ACU234), utilize JCR’s J-Brain Cargo technology to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Preclinical data in non-human primates demonstrated antibody levels 14-40x higher in the brain than native antibodies, with a low risk of anemia and no observed adverse events. The candidates also showed favorable stability for subcutaneous administration. Acumen is currently advancing IND-enabling activities and expects to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for these candidates in mid-2027. Separately, the company noted that topline results for its Phase 2 ALTITUDE-AD trial of sabirnetug are anticipated in late 2026.