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Cassava Sciences Topline Phase 3 Data Did Not Meet Co-Primary Endpoints

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Cassava Sciences announced that its Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ study of simufilam for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease failed to meet its co-primary, secondary, and exploratory biomarker endpoints. The study evaluated changes in cognition and function over 52 weeks using ADAS-COG12 and ADCS-ADL scales. Due to these disappointing results, the company is discontinuing its second Phase 3 trial, ReFocus-ALZ, and the Open Label Extension study. Simufilam maintained a favorable safety profile throughout the trial. The company reported approximately $149.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as of Q3 2024.

Cassava Sciences ha annunciato che il suo studio di Fase 3 ReThink-ALZ su simufilam per il morbo di Alzheimer da lieve a moderato non ha raggiunto i suoi obiettivi co-principali, secondari e di biomarker esploratori. Lo studio ha valutato i cambiamenti nella cognizione e nella funzionalit脿 per 52 settimane utilizzando le scale ADAS-COG12 e ADCS-ADL. A causa di questi risultati deludenti, l'azienda sta interrompendo il suo secondo studio di Fase 3, ReFocus-ALZ, e lo studio Open Label Extension. Simufilam ha mantenuto un profilo di sicurezza favorevole durante tutto il trial. L'azienda ha riportato circa 149,0 milioni di dollari in contante e equivalenti di cassa a partire dal terzo trimestre del 2024.

Cassava Sciences anunci贸 que su estudio de Fase 3 ReThink-ALZ sobre simufilam para la enfermedad de Alzheimer leve a moderada no logr贸 alcanzar sus objetivos co-principales, secundarios y exploratorios de biomarcadores. El estudio evalu贸 los cambios en la cognici贸n y la funci贸n durante 52 semanas utilizando las escalas ADAS-COG12 y ADCS-ADL. Debido a estos resultados decepcionantes, la empresa est谩 discontinuando su segundo ensayo de Fase 3, ReFocus-ALZ, y el estudio de Extensi贸n de Etiqueta Abierta. Simufilam mantuvo un perfil de seguridad favorable durante todo el ensayo. La empresa report贸 aproximadamente $149.0 millones en efectivo y equivalentes de efectivo hasta el tercer trimestre de 2024.

旃挫偓氚 靷澊鞏胳姢電 瓴届鞐愳劀 欷戨摫霃 鞎岇笭頃橃澊毹鸽硲鞚 鞙勴暅 鞁滊顷勲瀸鞚 3靸 ReThink-ALZ 鞐瓣惮臧 瓿惦彊 欤检殧, 鞚挫皑 氚 韮愳儔鞝 靸濎泊響滌鞛 氇╉憸毳 於╈”頃橃 氇豁枅雼り碃 氚滍憸頄堨姷雼堧嫟. 鞚 鞐瓣惮電 ADAS-COG12 氚 ADCS-ADL 觳欕弰毳 靷毄頃橃棳 52欤 霃欖晥 鞚胳 氚 旮半姤 氤頇旊ゼ 韽夑皜頄堨姷雼堧嫟. 鞚措煬頃 鞁る鞀る煬鞖 瓴瓣臣搿 鞚疙暣 須岇偓電 霊 氩堨Ц 3靸 鞁滍棙鞚 ReFocus-ALZ鞕 鞓ろ攬 霠堨澊敫 頇曥灔 鞐瓣惮毳 欷戨嫧頃橁赴搿 瓴办爼頄堨姷雼堧嫟. 鞁滊顷勲瀸鞚 鞁滍棙 鞝勲皹鞐 瓯胳硱 鞙犽Μ頃 鞎堨爠 頂勲頃勳潉 鞙犾頄堨姷雼堧嫟. 須岇偓電 2024雲 3攵勱赴 旮办鞙茧 鞎 1鞏 4,900毵 雼煬鞚 順勱笀 氚 順勱笀靹 鞛愳偘鞚 氤搓碃頄堨姷雼堧嫟.

Cassava Sciences a annonc茅 que son 茅tude de Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ sur simufilam pour la maladie d'Alzheimer l茅g猫re 脿 mod茅r茅e n'a pas r茅ussi 脿 atteindre ses objectifs co-principaux, secondaires et d'exploration des biomarqueurs. L'茅tude a 茅valu茅 les changements de cognition et de fonction sur 52 semaines en utilisant les 茅chelles ADAS-COG12 et ADCS-ADL. En raison de ces r茅sultats d茅cevants, l'entreprise met fin 脿 son deuxi猫me essai de Phase 3, ReFocus-ALZ, ainsi qu'脿 l'茅tude d'extension en libre-茅valuation. Simufilam a maintenu un profil de s茅curit茅 favorable tout au long de l'essai. L'entreprise a rapport茅 environ 149,0 millions de dollars en esp猫ces et 茅quivalents de liquidit茅s au troisi猫me trimestre 2024.

Cassava Sciences gab bekannt, dass die Phase-3-Studie ReThink-ALZ zu simufilam bei leichtem bis m盲脽igem Alzheimer nicht die co-prime, sekund盲ren und explorativen Biomarker-Endpunkte erreichen konnte. Die Studie bewertete Ver盲nderungen in Kognition und Funktion 眉ber 52 Wochen anhand der ADAS-COG12- und ADCS-ADL-Skalen. Aufgrund dieser entt盲uschenden Ergebnisse stellt das Unternehmen auch die zweite Phase-3-Studie ReFocus-ALZ und die Open-Label-Erweiterungsstudie ein. Simufilam wies w盲hrend der gesamten Studie ein g眉nstiges Sicherheitsprofil auf. Das Unternehmen berichtete 眉ber etwa 149,0 Millionen US-Dollar an liquiden Mitteln und Barmittel盲quivalenten zum dritten Quartal 2024.

Positive
  • Favorable safety profile demonstrated throughout the trial
  • Strong cash position of $149.0 million as of Q3 2024
Negative
  • Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ study failed to meet all primary, secondary and exploratory endpoints
  • Discontinuation of second Phase 3 trial (ReFocus-ALZ) and Open Label Extension study
  • No significant reduction in cognitive or functional decline versus placebo

Insights

The Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ trial results represent a significant setback for Cassava Sciences' Alzheimer's disease program. The study failed to meet both co-primary endpoints, showing no meaningful difference between simufilam and placebo in cognitive decline (ADAS-COG12) or functional abilities (ADCS-ADL). The unusually low placebo group decline rate raises questions about patient selection and trial design.

The company's decision to discontinue both the second Phase 3 trial (ReFocus-ALZ) and the Open Label Extension study indicates a complete halt to simufilam's development in Alzheimer's disease. With $149 million in cash reserves, the company has resources to pivot, but this represents a fundamental challenge to their primary development program.

This is a devastating outcome for Cassava Sciences, effectively invalidating their lead drug candidate and primary business focus. The complete failure in Phase 3, combined with the discontinuation of other ongoing trials, leaves the company without a clear path forward in the Alzheimer's space. While the $149 million cash position provides some runway, the company faces significant strategic challenges:

  • No viable lead drug candidate
  • Need for complete pipeline reassessment
  • Potential workforce restructuring

Expect significant stock price volatility and potential market cap erosion as investors reassess the company's prospects.

Simufilam did not show a significant reduction in cognitive or functional decline versus placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer鈥檚 disease in the ReThink-ALZ Phase 3 study

Simufilam continued to demonstrate an overall favorable safety profile

Cassava intends to present the data at an upcoming medical meeting

The Company will hold a webcast today, November 25, 2024, at 8:00 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cassava Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAVA, 鈥淐assava鈥, the 鈥淐ompany鈥), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing a novel, investigational treatment for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease (AD) dementia, today announced that the topline results from the Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ study of simufilam in mild-to-moderate AD did not meet each of the pre-specified co-primary, secondary and exploratory biomarker endpoints. The co-primary endpoints were the change in cognition and function from baseline to the end of the double-blind treatment period at week 52, assessed by the ADAS-COG12 and ADCS-ADL scales, comparing simufilam to placebo. Simufilam continued to demonstrate an overall favorable safety profile. The Company will hold a webcast today at 8 AM ET.

鈥淭he results are disappointing for patients and their families who are living with this disease and physicians who have been looking for novel treatment options. We took careful measures to enroll patients with mild-to-moderate AD. Despite that, the loss of cognition in the placebo group was less pronounced than was previously reported in other placebo-controlled studies in AD. We are working to understand this better,鈥 said Rick Barry, President and Chief Executive Officer. 鈥淎 result like this has implications on our second Phase 3 trial,听ReFocus-ALZ. We have made the difficult decision to discontinue ReFocus-ALZ, given the nature of today鈥檚 reported results. The complete 52-week dataset will be available from the study along with a large portion of 76-week data. We intend to report detailed analyses of both studies in the future. We will also be discontinuing the Open Label Extension study.鈥

Mr. Barry continued, 鈥淲e have a special gratitude for the patients and their families and caregivers who participated in our clinical program for AD. We are also immensely grateful to our employees, study investigators and site coordinators, as well as our other partners, for their commitment to this program. We hope the information we have gathered can ultimately be used to benefit ongoing research in AD.鈥

The table below provides a high-level summary of the co-primary endpoints data. Topline analysis of the mild and moderate sub-groups, likewise, did not demonstrate statistical significance at week 52.

Co-Primary Endpoint
Data*
Simufilam 100 mg BID
N= 403
Placebo BID
N=401
DeltaP-value
Co-Primary Endpoints
LS means change from baseline to the end of the double-blind treatment period
ADAS-COG12 (SE)2.8 ( 0.36)3.2 ( 0.36)-0.39 ( 0.50)P=0.43
ADCS-ADL (SE)-3.3 ( 0.44)-3.8 ( 0.44)0.51 ( 0.61)P=0.40
*Based on the intent-to-treat population
BID = twice daily
ADAS-COG12 = The Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Assessment Scale 鈥 Cognitive Subscale (a lower number represents less cognitive impairment)
ADCS-ADL = Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Cooperative Study 鈥 Activities of Daily Living (a higher number represents less functional impairment)

The table below provides a high-level summary of the patient demographic and safety data. Simufilam continued to demonstrate an overall favorable safety profile.

Metrics for Simufilam and PlaceboSimufilam 100 mg BIDPlacebo BID
Baseline*
Age, mean (SD), in years73.7 7.974.3 7.6
Sex, n (%) female225 (55.8%)222 (55.4%)
MMSE Score (No.%,)
21-27244 (60.5%)250 (62.3%)
16-20155 (38.5%)146 (36.4%)
Race/Ethnicity
White366 (90.8%)376 (93.8%)
Black20 (5.0%)18 (4.5%)
Asian8 (2.0%)2 (0.5%)
Other9 (2.2%)5 (1.0%)
Safety**
Any Adverse Event (AE)284 (71.2%)269 (67.6%)
Serious AEs52 (13.0%)36 (9.0%)
Death1 (0.3%)3 (0.8%)
AEs leading to discontinuation from the study26 (6.5%)17 (4.3%)
Most Frequent AEs
1: COVID-1932 (8.0%)36 (9.0%)
2: Urinary Tract Infection31 (7.8%)29 (7.3%)
3: Fall30 (7.5%)30 (7.5%)
4: Dizziness21 (5.3%)1 (0.3%)
5: Headache18 (4.5%)11 (2.8%)
*Based on the intent-to-treat population
**Based on the safety population
BID = twice daily
AD = Alzheimer鈥檚 disease
MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination


Cassava will continue to review all of the data and evaluate next steps. We plan to share the detailed results at a future medical meeting.

Eric Schoen, Chief Financial Officer at Cassava commented, 鈥淲e remain focused on the interests of Cassava shareholders and are committed to enhancing shareholder value. Cassava is well-capitalized with approximately $149.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as of the end of the third quarter of 2024.鈥

Webcast Info
Date: Monday, November 25th
Time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Webcast:

A webcast of the live call will be available in the investor relations section of the Cassava website. Access to the webcast replay will be available on the Company鈥檚 website approximately two hours after completion of the call for approximately 90 days.

About Re-THINK-ALZ

ReThink-ALZ (NCT04994483) is a Phase 3 trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of simufilam compared to a placebo in a multi-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized parallel group study involving over 75 clinical trial sites in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The trial randomized 804 people with confirmed mild or moderate AD, defined by several well validated parameters including a mini-mental state examination (MMSE) of >16 and <27, stratified as mild or moderate. Subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive simufilam 100 mg (n=403) or a matched placebo (n=401), dosed orally twice daily (BID) for 52 weeks.

The co-primary endpoints were the change in cognition and function from baseline to the end of the double-blind treatment period at week 52, assessed by the ADAS-COG12 and ADCS-ADL scales, comparing simufilam to placebo. Secondary endpoints also included several well validated measures of neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver burden. Safety was evaluated through multiple measures, including adverse event monitoring. The study also included a pharmacokinetic and plasma biomarker sub-study comprised of approximately 100 subjects, evaluated at three timepoints. ReThink-ALZ was conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

About Simufilam

Simufilam is a proprietary, investigational oral small molecule that targets the filamin A protein.

About Cassava Sciences, Inc.

Cassava Sciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Austin, Texas. Our mission is to detect and treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.

Simufilam, an investigational oral, small molecule drug candidate that targets the filamin A protein, is under evaluation for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Cassava Sciences owns exclusive, worldwide rights to its investigational product candidates and related technologies, without royalty obligations to any third party.

For more information, please visit:

For More Information Contact:

Investors
Sandya von der Weid

Media

Company
Eric Schoen, Chief Financial Officer
(512) 501-2450

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking statements that include but are not limited to statements regarding: the completion and future results of our Phase 3 clinical studies of simufilam in patients with Alzheimer's disease; the planned discontinuation of the ReFocus-ALZ and open-label extension studies; our intent to share detailed study results at a future medical meeting; the timing of anticipated milestones; and the potential for simufilam to be approved as a treatment for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. These statements may be identified by words such as 鈥渁nticipate鈥, 鈥渂efore,鈥 鈥渂elieve鈥, 鈥渃ould鈥, 鈥渆xpect鈥, 鈥渇orecast鈥, 鈥渋ntend鈥, 鈥渕ay鈥, 鈥減ending,鈥 鈥減lan鈥, 鈥減ossible鈥, 鈥減otential鈥, 鈥減repares for,鈥 鈥渨ill鈥, and other words and terms of similar meaning.

Such statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, those risks relating to the ability to conduct or complete clinical studies on expected timelines; the ability to demonstrate the specificity, safety, efficacy or potential health benefits of simufilam; our current expectations regarding timing of clinical data for our Phase 3 studies; and other risks inherent in drug discovery and development or specific to Cassava Sciences, Inc., as described in the section entitled 鈥淩isk Factors鈥 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024, and future reports to be filed with the SEC. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations in any forward-looking statement. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements and events discussed in this news release are inherently uncertain and may not occur, and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by law, we disclaim any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements. For further information regarding these and other risks related to our business, investors should consult our filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at .

All of our pharmaceutical assets under development are investigational product candidates. These have not been approved for use in any medical indication by any regulatory authority in any jurisdiction and their safety, efficacy or other desirable attributes, if any, have not been established in any patient population. Consequently, none of our product candidates is approved or available for sale anywhere in the world.


FAQ

What were the results of Cassava Sciences' Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ trial for SAVA stock?

The Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ trial failed to meet its co-primary endpoints, showing no significant reduction in cognitive or functional decline compared to placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

How did SAVA's Phase 3 trial failure impact other ongoing studies?

Following the Phase 3 ReThink-ALZ trial failure, Cassava Sciences decided to discontinue both its second Phase 3 trial (ReFocus-ALZ) and the Open Label Extension study.

What was Cassava Sciences' (SAVA) cash position after the Phase 3 results?

As of the third quarter of 2024, Cassava Sciences reported approximately $149.0 million in cash and cash equivalents.

What was the safety profile of simufilam in SAVA's Phase 3 trial?

Simufilam demonstrated an overall favorable safety profile throughout the Phase 3 trial, with common adverse events including COVID-19, urinary tract infection, falls, dizziness, and headache.

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Biotechnology
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