Diagnosing amyloidosis (abnormal protein in tissue) is a complex process. Over eighty percent of amyloidosis patients are undiagnosed. The disease takes hold after the blood plasma cells in the bone marrow begin to produce amyloid deposits. These deposits build up in vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, and liver. Approximately thirty percent of patients die within a year of diagnosis.
According to a recent press release by Attralus Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, it has presented preclinical data from a study of their newly developed AT-03. The treatment, a pan-amyloid removal (PAR) therapy, was developed for systemic amyloidosis.
AT-03, a fusion protein, can bind ATTR amyloid extracts and human AL, as well as amyloid deposits found in mouse models. The study analyzes the AT-03 preclinical profile and how it binds to amyloid fibrils. This is important, as the formation of amyloid fibrils causes various degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Transthyretin-associated amyloidosis (ATTR) and immunoglobulin light-chain-associated (AL) amyloidosis are the most common types of systemic amyloidosis.
Dr. Gregory Bell, the Chief Medical Officer at Attralus commented on AT-03’s potential and its PAR removal technology to treat all forms of systemic amyloidosis.
ASH 2021 Annual Hematology Conference
Attralus also presented new trial data on the Phase ½ AT-01 trial at the ASH 2021 annual Hematology conference. The trial analyzed AT-01’s ability to find amyloid deposits using PET/CT imaging in patients who had been diagnosed with AL amyloidosis. Twenty-three patients were enrolled along with five healthy individuals.
The adult patients received IV infusions of AT-01. Five or six hours after the injection Biograph PET/CT images were acquired. A low-dose CT was used. The goal was to identify the uptake of AT-01 in the liver, heart, kidney, and spleen.
Results of the AT-01 Study
AT-01 was tested for its ability to detect deposits of amyloid via PET/CT imaging. All but five patients were diagnosed with AL amyloidosis. Every participant received IV infusions of AT-01 with images acquired five or six hours after the injection. Biograph PET/CT (with low dose CT) was used.
Results of the test showed AL amyloidosis patients had AT-01 uptake in the liver, spleen, heart, kidneys, and other major organs.
- Ninety-six percent of patients tested showed a visual uptake in one or more parts of the anatomy.
- Cardiac amyloid was detected in thirteen out of fourteen patients.
- Hepatic amyloid was detected in three out of the three patients with the disease
- Seven out of ten patients with renal amyloid disease were detected
About Attralus
The company is focused on creating medicines that will improve the quality of life for systemic amyloidosis patients. Attralus has exclusive rights for commercializing 1241-AT-01 under a license agreement with Tennessee University’s Research Foundation.
