Why Non-Immunologic Therapies May Offer a Smarter Path in Alzheimer’s Disease
In recent years, monoclonal antibodies have taken center stage in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. While they represent a scientific milestone in targeting amyloid-beta plaques, their clinical use has also revealed significant limitations: invasive administration, high treatment costs, limited blood–brain barrier penetration, and a risk of immune-related side effects such as ARIA (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities).
At Caladrix, we pursue a different, non-immunologic strategy. Our small-molecule drugs are designed to activate endogenous transport proteins like ABC transporters, leveraging the brain’s natural clearance and protection systems.
Key Advantages of Our Approach
- Oral, Non-Invasive Administration: Unlike antibodies requiring intravenous infusions, our small molecules are designed for oral delivery – making long-term treatment more accessible and patient-friendly.
- Improved Brain Penetration: Small molecules can more readily cross the blood–brain barrier, reaching key brain regions where neurotoxic proteins like amyloid-beta accumulate.
- Sustained Mechanistic Action: By enhancing the brain’s intrinsic clearance and defense pathways, we address upstream disease drivers – reducing toxic peptide burden, dampening neuroinflammation, and mitigating oxidative stress in a coordinated manner.
- Lower Risk of Immune-Mediated Side Effects: Non-immunologic therapies bypass the need for systemic immune activation, significantly reducing the risk of adverse effects such as ARIA or hypersensitivity reactions.
- No MRI-Based Safety Burden: Antibody therapies require regular MRI scans to monitor for ARIA, a potentially serious side effect. This safety monitoring is not only expensive, but also logistically challenging and emotionally taxing for patients and caregivers. Our small-molecule approach avoids this burden entirely.
- Scalability and Cost Efficiency: Small molecules are typically easier and more cost-effective to manufacture and distribute than biologics, enabling broader access and more sustainable healthcare solutions.
By modulating fundamental biological processes, we aim not only to treat symptoms – but to slow or even halt disease progression.