Affiris begins clinical testing of Alzheimer’s vaccine

Up to 24 Alzheimer’s patients at the “mild to moderate” disease stage are to be vaccinated, with the aim of this initial phase I trial being to demonstrate the vaccine’s safety and its suitability for human use.

The patients will be vaccinated four times over a period of three months, and the safety and suitability of the vaccine will be analysed over six months.

This development means that the EUR8.5 million venture capital finance agreement the company concluded with Munich-based MIG-Fonds in April 2006 has reached a key milestone on schedule.

Affiris says it has developed the Alzheimer’s vaccine from patented Affitope technology, which is based on mimotopes and allows customized vaccines to be manufactured cost-effectively.