BioArctic AB (publ) has announced that the company’s partner AbbVie has decided to terminate its collaboration with BioArctic regarding the portfolio of alpha-synuclein antibodies, including ABBV-0805.

ABBV-0805 is a monoclonal antibody drug candidate that is designed to selectively bind and eliminate aggregated forms of alpha-synuclein such as oligomers and protofibrils, which participates in neurodegenerative maladies including Parkinson’s disease. The goal is to develop a disease modifying treatment that stops or slows down the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

BioArctic and AbbVie have collaborated since 2016 regarding the research and development of BioArctic’s portfolio of alpha-synuclein antibodies for Parkinson’s disease and other potential indications. In 2019, a Phase 1 study of the lead asset, ABBV-0805, was initiated, and results from the study, presented at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders (MDS) in September 2021, supports a continuation into Phase 2 with once-monthly dosing.

Gunilla Osswald, BioArctic’s CEO, said:

We are disappointed that AbbVie has taken this decision. All available data indicates that ABBV-0805 has uniquely high selectivity for the pathological forms of aggregated alpha-synuclein, as well as Phase 1 data supporting progression to Phase 2. We believe that ABBV-0805 has the potential to become a disease-modifying treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease and will now investigate options to continue the development of this asset.