NeurologyLive® Year in Review 2024: Top Conference Coverage Stories

Throughout 2024, the NeurologyLive® team, along with clinician and physician partners, attended and covered a multitude of the field’s most prominent conferences, capturing the themes and advancements shaping neurology today.

From ACTRIMS to AES, and everything in between—including ISC, MDA, AAN, CMSC, SLEEP, Cure SMA, AHS, ATMRD, AAIC, ANA, ECTRIMS, MDS, AANEM, and CTAD—our coverage highlighted the key presentations, groundbreaking data, and discussions that defined each event. These stories feature insights from experts across clinical care, research, and advocacy, offering a comprehensive look into the cutting-edge innovations, ongoing challenges, and emerging trends that drove conversations throughout the year.

Here, we spotlight the top conference coverage stories from 2024. Click the buttons to dive deeper into the highlights and breakthroughs from each meeting.

1. Risk of ARIA-E in Donanemab Attenuated Through New Enhanced Titration Method of Delivery

Findings from the phase 3b TRAILBLAZER-ALZ-6 trial (NCT05738486), a study of the recently approved antiamyloid treatment donanemab (Kisulna; Eli Lilly), showed that an enhanced titration dosing regimen of the treatment led to significant reductions in the frequency and severity of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema (ARIA-E). In addition to numerically lower ARIA-E at 24 weeks, those on the titrated dosing regimen also maintained sufficient amyloid reduction.

2. Simvastatin Fails to Reduce Disease Progression in Phase 3 MS-STAT2 Trial of Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

In the phase 3 MS-STAT2 trial (NCT03387670), treatment with simvastatin, a medication for high cholesterol, was safe and well tolerated, but demonstrated no evidence of benefit in reducing disability progression rates in patients with non-active progressing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Investigators plan to release additional analyses from the trial that cover secondary outcomes, fluid biomarkers, and MRI.

3. Anti-Tau Agent E2814 Shows Impact on Early and Late Tau Biomarkers, Further Supporting Development

Data from E2814-G000-103, an open-label, phase 1b/2 study (NCT04971733) of patients with dominantly inherited Alzheimer disease (DIAD), showed that treatment with E2814 (Eisai), an investigational anti-tau therapeutic antibody, resulted in significant effect on both early and late tau biomarkers in treated patients. Notably, E2814 did not affect phosphorylated tau (p-tau)217 or MTBR-tau243 levels in healthy volunteers, suggesting its effects are specific to those with tau pathology and thus further supporting its clinical development.

4. SynAIRgy Phase 3 Trial Aims to Assess Pharmacological Activation of Upper Airway Muscles to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

At the 2024 SLEEP Annual Meeting, investigators presented an outline of the phase 3 SynAIRgy trial (NCT05813275), a randomized, controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of AD109 (Apnimed), a combination of antimuscarinic aroxybutynin and atomoxetine, as a potential treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). AD109, a first-in-class once-daily medication, aims to be the first oral pharmacologic therapy that targets key neurological pathways in OSA that activate upper airway dilator muscles to maintain an open airway during sleep.

5. Early Report Suggest Disease-Modifying Therapies May Halt Sleep-Related Disordered Breathing in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Findings from a small-scale study of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) showed that early treatment with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) may ultimately interrupt the development of sleep-related disordered breathing and delay the initiation of ventilatory support. Investigators concluded that additional studies are needed to further understand the relationship between these medications and sleep-related respiratory outcomes in pediatric patients with SMA type 1.

6. Study Details of Phase 2 KYSA-6 Trial of CAR-T Therapy in Myasthenia Gravis Presented

New details have emerged regarding a multicenter, open-label, phase 2 study, dubbed KYSA-6 (NCT06193889) that will investigate the efficacy and safety of KYV-101 (Kyverna Therapeutics), an investigational fully human anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in patients with refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). The trial will feature 20 patients with the disease, using change in Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) as the primary efficacy end point.

7. GLP-1 Agonist Liraglutide Shows Protective Effects on Alzheimer Disease in Phase 2 Trial

reported research from a phase 2b study showed that treatment with liraglutide (Novo Nordisk), a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia. Presented at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), held July 28-August 1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, these findings highlight the potential of GLP-1 analogues in the treatment of AD.

8. Parkinson Gene Therapy AB-1005 Continues to Show Promising Results at 18 Months

Presented data from a phase 1b study (NCT04167540) assessing AskBio’s investigational gene therapy AB-1005 in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) showed that the therapy met its primary end point of successful putamen coverage and was safe over an 18-month period. Although the study was small scale, with only 11 patients included, both mild (n = 6) and moderate (n = 5) forms of PD experienced improvements in ON and OFF time with AB-1005.

9. Tolebrutinib Shows Positive Results in Slowing Disability Progression for Non-Relapsing Secondary Progressive MS in Phase 3 HERCULES Trial

Late-breaking results from the phase 3 HERCULES trial (NCT04411641) showed that tolebrutinib (Sanofi), a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, had a significant effect on disability accumulation compared with placebo in patients with non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (nrSPMS). Presented at the 2024 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress, held September 18-20, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the findings from this trial are the first to reveal a significant slowing of disability progression in this patient population, for which there is a large unmet need.

10. TIMELESS Trial Reveals Tenecteplase Safe in Late Window, With Efficacy in Subgroups of M1 Occlusion

Data from the TIMELESS trial (NCT03785678) showed that the use of tenecteplase between 4.5 to 24 hours after stroke in patients with occlusions of the middle cerebral artery or internal carotid artery did not result in better clinical outcomes than those with placebo; however, certain subgroups showed greater benefit. Notably, this was the first study to show that intravenous (IV) thrombolytics could be given up to 24 hours without an increase in brain hemorrhage.