POP Biotechnologies, Inc. (POP BIO), has been awarded a $2.46M USD grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue development of a “mosaic” active immunotherapy against Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The project, “Mosaic Display of Multivalent Tau and A-Beta peptides on Immunogenic SNAP Liposomes,” leverages POP BIO’s proprietary spontaneous nanoliposome antigen particle (SNAP) platform to develop an active immunotherapy with multiple amyloid-beta (Aβ) and phospho-tau targets simultaneously.

The technology is based on displaying the Aβ and phospho-tau targets in a mosaic-like fashion on the surface of nanoparticles. The body’s own immune response then generates antibodies that aim to neutralize these pathogenic targets.

The award is a collaborative effort led by POP BIO and Dr. Chunling Dai, an expert in Alzheimer’s disease at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (Staten Island, NY), and investigators at the University of Puerto Rico.

AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by brain accumulation of Aβ plaques and phospho-tau neurofibrillary tangles. Due to the complexity of AD pathogenesis, a multipronged approach targeting both proteins may overcome limitations of current treatments. AD affects over 55 million people worldwide, representing an estimated $19.3B market opportunity with 13% CAGR.

Under the Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) NIH grant, POP BIO will scale, characterize, and validate the immunotherapy candidate with the goal of advancing toward human trials. “This award provides significant validation of our approach and great opportunity to advance our mosaic SNAP active immunotherapy,” said Dr. Wei-Chiao Huang, Director of Vaccine Development at POP Biotechnologies.

Dr. Dai, co-investigator at the Institute for Basic Research, said “By targeting multiple components of Alzheimer’s pathology at once, we aim to achieve a level of protection that is not possible with traditional single-target immunotherapies.”

The Alzheimer’s immunotherapy program is part of a broader initiative also involving EuPOP Life Sciences, a joint venture between POP BIO and EuBiologics Co., Ltd., a South Korea-based global vaccine leader. These partners are advancing development of the AD vaccine, leveraging POP BIO’s SNAP nanoliposome platform and EuBiologics’ complementary vaccine adjuvant technology.