CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIGL), a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to harnessing the power of microglia for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, today announced two poster presentations at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. All posters will be presented electronically.
“Our presentations at this year’s AAN Annual Meeting highlight the lack of major genotype-phenotype correlations and the rapidly progressive nature of adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) through a survival analysis. We hope these presentations help to improve the overall understanding of ALSP, our lead indication for VGL101, our investigational fully human monoclonal antibody TREM2 agonist,” said Spyros Papapetropoulos, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Vigil Neuroscience. “The Vigil team remains focused on enabling the development of safe and effective therapies for this devastating disease caused by genetic mutations affecting microglia function, for which there are currently no regulatory-approved therapies.”
Details of the poster presentations are as follows:
Title: “Survival analysis of patients with adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP): data from a systematic literature review of published case studies”
Session: P5 Neuroepidemiology 2, Poster 002 - Neighborhood 5
Date and time: Sunday, April 3, 2022 from 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM EST
Title: “Genotype-phenotype correlations in adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP)”
Session: P11 - Aging and Dementia: Non-Alzheimer's Dementia: Genetics and Neuroimaging 1, Poster 002 - Neighborhood 3
Date and time: Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM EST
About VGL101
VGL101, Vigil’s lead product candidate, is a fully human monoclonal antibody agonist targeting human triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), which is responsible for maintaining microglial cell function. TREM2 deficiency is believed to be a driver of certain neurodegenerative diseases. VGL101 is in development for the treatment of rare microgliopathies, such as adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP), as well as other neurodegenerative diseases for which TREM2 and/or microglia deficiency is believed to be a key driver of disease pathway.
About ALSP
Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a rare, inherited, autosomal dominant neurological disease with high penetrance. It is caused by a mutation to the CSF1R gene and affects an estimated 10,000 people in the US, with similar prevalence in Europe and Japan. The disease generally presents itself in adults in the forties, is diagnosed through genetic testing and established clinical/radiologic criteria and is characterized by cognitive dysfunction, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and motor impairment. These symptoms typically exhibit rapid progression with a life expectancy of approximately six to seven years on average after diagnosis, causing significant patient and caregiver burden. There are currently no approved therapies for the treatment of ALSP, underlining the high unmet need in this rare indication.
About Vigil Neuroscience
Vigil Neuroscience is a microglia-focused therapeutics company focused on developing treatments for both rare and common neurodegenerative diseases by restoring the vigilance of microglia, the sentinel immune cells of the brain. We are utilizing the tools of modern neuroscience drug development across multiple therapeutic modalities in our efforts to develop precision-based therapies to improve the lives of patients and their families.
