The Week of

Novo Nordisk transferred global rights to its clinical-stage Parkinson’s disease cell therapy program, STEM-PD, to Cellular Intelligence, a Boston-based startup focused on applying artificial intelligence to cell therapy development and manufacturing.

Cellular Intelligence says its AI platform uses biological datasets and machine learning models to improve how cell therapies are designed, optimized, and manufactured. The agreement also immediately transforms the startup from a preclinical platform company into a clinical-stage biotech with a Phase 2-ready Parkinson’s asset. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-197285027.

Biogen Inc. and partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals reported topline Phase 2 results from the CELIA study evaluating diranersen (BIIB080), an experimental tau-targeting Alzheimer’s therapy.

This drug is the first tau-directed treatment in a randomized Phase 2 Alzheimer’s study to demonstrate both reductions in tau pathology and signs of cognitive benefit in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease.

The study did not meet its primary endpoint, measuring dose response on a dementia severity scale after 76 weeks. However, Biogen said pre-specified analyses showed slowing of cognitive decline across all dose groups, particularly at the lowest dose, while also producing robust reductions in tau protein. Biogen now plans to advance diranersen into registrational development despite the mixed primary endpoint results. Check it out: https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/ionis-partner-biogen-announces-topline-results-from-phase-2-celia-study-of-diranersen-biib080-first-study-to-show-reduction-in-tau-pathology-and-cognitive-benefit-in-patients-with-early-alzheimers-disease.

Kariya and NeuraLight announced a partnership aimed at measuring how next-generation GLP-1 therapies affect brain function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

The collaboration will use NeuraLight’s AI-driven brain biomarker platform to track neurological changes in clinical studies involving Kariya’s experimental GLP-1 and GIP-based therapies for conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers increasingly believe the therapies may help reduce neuroinflammation, improve brain energy metabolism, and potentially slow neurodegeneration, though definitive clinical proof remains limited. Here’s more: https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/kariya-and-neuralight-partner-to-measure-how-next-generation-glp-1-therapies-impact-the-brain.

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Did you know that psilocybin could potentially be used to treat cocaine addiction?
Researchers recently reported new evidence that psilocybin may help treat cocaine addiction when combined with psychotherapy.

In a recent randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving adults with cocaine use disorder, participants who received a single dose of psilocybin alongside therapy experienced significantly more cocaine-free days than those who received a placebo. Nearly 30% of participants in the psilocybin group remained fully abstinent from cocaine for six months, while none of the placebo participants achieved complete abstinence.

Researchers said the study provides early evidence that psilocybin-assisted therapy could become a potential new treatment approach for stimulant use disorders, though larger trials will still be needed to confirm long-term safety and effectiveness. Check it out: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848757.