Challenges With Addressing Neurodegeneration in Poststroke Patients: Stephen From

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The chief executive officer of Aruna Bio discussed the reasons for the failure of neuroprotective agents in ischemic stroke trials and why AB126 has potential to restore neurodegeneration in such affected patients. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

"If you’re going into that very extreme environment with an acute injury, you’re going to have to modulate the immune system and the inflammatory response. I believe that, and I could be wrong, but our product does all that. We didn’t design it; this is millions of years of evolution designed into our product. Not us, we just know how to harness it."

In early January, the FDA cleared an investigational new drug application for Aruna Bio to test its exosome therapy AB126 in patients with acute ischemic stroke that’s expected to begin in the first half of 2024. The study, a traditional dose-ascending trial, will assess the efficacy and safety of the therapy in those who had a poor prognosis post thrombectomy. Patients in the study will receive 3 intravenous injection treatments of AB126 at low, medium, and high doses.

According to the company, the agent has an intuitive ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and modulate inflammasome in the central nervous system through means of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanisms. To date, there has been no approved treatment that can address the neurodegeneration aspects of stroke and the disability that follows. Rehabilitation after a stroke begins in the hospital, often within a day or 2 after the stroke; however, recovery can be inconsistent for some patients, lasting weeks, months, or even years.

In a recent interview with NeurologyLive^®, Stephen From, chief executive officer of Aruna Bio, provided context on the difficulties with addressing neurodegeneration in poststroke patients and why previous trials have fallen short. He spoke on the mechanism of action of AB126 and why it may offer a more therapeutic benefit, especially in combination with other therapies.