Umecrine Cognition AB

The Challenge

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative, irreversible disease, and is the most common form of dementia. Initially, disease progression includes deterioration of cognitive functions, which patients experience as very stressful.

Elevated endogenous stress hormones affect the brain via the inhibitory GABA system. The consequence is a decrease in cognitive function with subsequently reduced clearance of the Alzheimer-associated amyloid ß-peptide (Aß). As a result of this, there can be accumulation and oligomerisation of Aß and thus progression of AD.

Umecrine Cognition’s Solution

Umecrine Cognition is developing pharmaceuticals to treat the gradual progression of AD caused by endogenous CNS-active steroids (GABA-steroids). The expected effects of treatment include a slowdown in disease progression and improved memory and learning for patients. Umecrine Cognition currently has three lead compounds undergoing preclinical evaluation.

Competitive Advantages

A therapy based on this mode of action will have the potential to delay disease progression and improve the memory performance of patients with early AD. Currently, there are no drugs available that influence the progression of AD. Umecrine Cognition’s innovation represents a unique and novel treatment principle and no similar substances exist that block the noxious effects of endogenous and exogenous CNS-steroids.

The Market

The prevalence of AD is estimated to be approximately 5 % of the population over 65 years of age. Across the seven major pharmaceutical markets, the AD market is forecast to grow from USD 5bn in 2010 to USD 12bn in 2019¹. It is also estimated that early to moderate forms of AD will make up 60–70 % of this market.

Umecrine Cognition is aiming at the early AD segment, which is becoming a significant and increasing problem due to an aging population. In the absence of disease-modifying treatments, delay of progression of AD represents a huge potential market for a new effective therapy.