Acta Pharmaceuticals has secured $24m in seed funding for advancing a drug pipeline focused on early intervention and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including the clinical progression of its lead candidate, GSM-779690T.
It is a gamma-secretase modulator being developed as a potent once-daily oral therapy for the treatment and potential prevention of AD.
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According to the company, existing therapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) either treat symptoms or clear amyloid beta (Aβ) after senile plaques accumulate.
In contrast, gamma-secretase modulators alter protein production before plaques form.
GSM-779690T lowers plaque-forming Aβ42 while boosting shorter peptides, Aβ37 and Aβ38, which impede plaque build-up.
Earlier gamma-secretase inhibitors interrupted overall enzyme activity, whereas modulators preserve normal biological functions.
Acta Pharmaceuticals expects to begin a Phase I clinical trial in October 2026 for its lead asset, GSM-779690T.
The placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study will assess single and multiple ascending doses in healthy adult participants.
Researchers will examine the oral small-molecule candidate’s tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and safety.
GSM-779690T remains an investigational therapy that lacks regulatory approval, with its safety and efficacy not yet established.
Acta Pharmaceuticals co-founder and CEO George Alex said: “We founded Acta Pharmaceuticals to translate more than four decades of Dr Rudolph Tanzi’s discoveries into new Alzheimer’s disease treatments to enable early intervention and prevention.
“GSM-779690T is the culmination of 25 years of research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of California, San Diego and approximately $70m in preclinical development funding.
“We’re privileged to build on Drs Tanzi and Wagner’s pioneering GSM research and decades of discoveries to give the broadest group of people the opportunity for early prevention and treatment of one of the world’s most devastating and costly diseases.”
Acta Pharmaceuticals is also progressing a combination therapies programme using intellectual property licensed from Massachusetts General Hospital.
The approach applies human brain cell models known as Alzheimer’s-in-a-Dish, which simulate disease features to screen hundreds of compounds simultaneously within six weeks.
Backers in the funding round include Gamma Bio Investors, Dolby Family Ventures, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Foundation, and multiple family offices and investors.
