Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia that causes memory, thinking, and behavior problems.

At the earliest stages, Alzheimer’s disease commonly results in difficulty in remembering new information. As the disease progresses, it often leads to communication problems, behavior change, and inability to do everyday tasks. Over time, independence is lost, and complications from the disease can result in death.

Alzheimer’s disease is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, with more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, making it the most common neurodegenerative disorder. There is an urgent need for therapies that slow the progression and ultimately prevent Alzheimer’s disease to address this global healthcare crisis.

It is believed two different proteins – Aβ (amyloid beta) and tau – are primary contributors to Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Misfolded Aβ builds up to form plaques between nerve cells in the brain. Tangles of twisted tau fibrils spread from cell to cell and cause build up inside the neurons. People with Alzheimer’s disease develop these pathological hallmarks of the disease in a predictable pattern as the disease progresses, starting in the centers of the brain responsible for memory and spreading out from there to other regions of the brain.

BMS-986446 is a potential best-in-class antibody that specifically targets a key epitope within the microtubule binding region (MTBR) of tau, a protein implicated in the causal pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. BMS-986446 is currently being investigated in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by our partner Bristol Myers Squibb. Bristol Myers Squibb is responsible for all communication, development, manufacturing, and commercialization. In addition, BMS-986446 is currently conducting a Phase 1 study to evaluate a potential subcutaneous administration.