Chromosome Disorders

AC Immune Reports Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Provides a Corporate Update ACI-24.060 ABATE Phase 2 trial to report Abeta-PET imaging results in Q2 and H2ACI-7104.056 VacSYn Phase 2 trial in Parkinson’s disease on track for interim data in H2ACI-24.060 for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) received FDA Fast Track designationACI-35.030 ReTain Phase 2b program in preclinical (pre-symptomatic) AD patients, initiated by collaboration partnerCash of CHF 103 million at year end, plus the CHF 15 million milestone payment received on February 1, 2024 and the next CHF 25 million ACI-35.030-related milestone, provides funding into 2026 Lausanne, Switzerland, March 14, 2024 – AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of precision medicine approaches for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, today reported results for the year ended December 31, 2023, and provided a corporate update. Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune SA, commented: “We made significant progress in 2023 advancing our three innovative active immunotherapy programs in Phase 2 clinical trials in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. This sets the stage for a number of important milestones in 2024, which have the potential to further enhance our understanding of how best to prevent neurodegeneration and to generate significant value for AC Immune. In the second quarter and second half of 2024, we will be reporting Phase 2 ACI-24.060 data on amyloid plaque reduction after 6- and 12-months treatment, respectively. Amyloid plaque is a clinically validated biomarker of efficacy, making these data announcements potentially de-risking and providing an opportunity to accelerate ACI-24.060 into a registrational program. “We are also delighted that ACI-35.030 (JNJ-64042056), our anti-phospho-Tau active immunotherapy, has now entered the Phase 2b trial, conducted by our partner in pre-symptomatic AD patients. In addition, our ACI-7104.056 anti-alpha-synuclein active immunotherapy is advancing through Phase 2 testing for Parkinson’s disease (PD) with initial safety and immunogenicity data expected in the second half of 2024. “AC Immune’s primary focus remains on these three active immunotherapy programs, each of which has the potential to transform how neurodegenerative diseases are treated and ultimately, to enable precision prevention of these diseases. Thanks to our strengthened leadership team and reinforced balance sheet, we are well-positioned to deliver de-risking clinical milestones, working towards our mission to shift the paradigm from disease treatment to disease prevention.” 2023 and Subsequent Highlights Active Immunotherapy Programs ACI-24.060 anti-Abeta active immunotherapy Received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ADThe enrolment in the ABATE Phase 2 AD trial continues with cohort 3 now being expanded. Following data safety monitoring board (DSMB) review, no safety concerns have been raised to date, consistent with the previously observed safety profile.Initial interim ABATE safety and immunogenicity data from the first, low dose AD cohort were promising, with clear evidence of anti-Abeta antibody responses against toxic Abeta species observed in the blinded data.The first participant with Down syndrome (DS) was dosed in the Phase 2 ABATE trial.Six-month Abeta positron emission tomography (PET) imaging results are expected in Q2 2024, and 12-month Abeta-PET data are expected in H2 2024. ACI-35.030 (JNJ-64042056) anti-phospho-Tau (anti-pTau) active immunotherapy Phase 2b ReTain clinical trial in participants with preclinical AD preparations are ongoing to initiate the study by H1 2024 by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company (Janssen).ReTain will evaluate the effect of ACI-35.030 on cognition and Tau pathology in approximately 500 participants with preclinical AD. These will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a single dose level of ACI-35.030 or placebo, administered as intramuscular injections for a maximum of 4 years.Under the terms of the licensing agreement, AC Immune received a milestone payment of CHF 15 million on February 1, 2024 and expects to receive another milestone payment of CHF 25 million related to achieving an undisclosed enrolment target in 2025. ACI-7104.056 anti-a-syn active immunotherapy Completed enrolment of cohort 1 in the VacSYn Phase 2 trial in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with 16 patients randomized. Enrolment and randomization of cohort 2 is ongoing as planned.No safety concerns have been reported to date with no reports of moderate or severe adverse events. Safety and immunogenicity updates from the trial are expected in H2 2024. Diagnostic Programs A peer-reviewed paper published in Nature Communications (Smith et al., Nat. Comm., 2023) showed that AC Immune’s wholly-owned a-syn-PET tracer ACI-12589 can detect a-syn pathology in multiple system atrophy (MSA) and differentiate MSA from other a-synucleinopathies.The TDP-43-PET tracer program has progressed as planned and a clinical candidate has been selected. Further IND-enabling studies will be completed over the coming months to permit the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial in H2 2024.In the pivotal Phase 3 ADvance trial evaluating the Morphomer® derived Tau-PET tracer, PI-2620 in AD, the first participant was imaged and the study is progressing well. PI-2620 was discovered and developed using the Morphomer® platform as part of a research collaboration between AC Immune and Life Molecular Imaging. Corporate Updates Completed USD 50 million equity financing in December 2023, extending cash runway into Q1 2026. (This assumes the second ACI-35-related milestone payment of CHF 25 million is received in 2025)New grants that collectively provide more than USD 500,000 in additional non-dilutive capital to support the advancement of diagnostic programs targeting TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) were awarded to AC Immune by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and the Target ALS Foundation.Strengthened leadership team with appointments of Dr. Nuno Mendonça as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Madiha Derouazi as Chief Scientific Officer, and Mr. Christopher Roberts as Chief Financial Officer. Thought Leadership and Collaborations Initiated a research collaboration with Prof. Michael Heneka, director of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, to evaluate the therapeutic potential of AC Immune’s SupraAntigen®- and Morphomer®-derived inhibitors of the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome pathway in preclinical disease models.Hosted webinar on PET imaging in AD featuring key opinion leader (KOL) Victor Villemagne, M.D. (University of Pittsburg). To view a replay of the event, click HERE.Hosted KOL webinar on early diagnosis and prevention of AD featuring presentations by Kaj Blennow, MD, PhD, of University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and Giovanni Frisoni, MD, of University of Geneva and the Memory Clinic at Geneva University Hospital. To view a replay of the webinar, click HERE. Anticipated 2024 Milestones ACI-24.060anti-Abeta active immunotherapy 6-month and 12-month Abeta-PET data in AD expected in Q2 2024 and H2 2024, respectivelyInitial safety and immunogenicity data in DS cohort expected in H2 2024 ACI-7104.056anti-a-syn active immunotherapy Interim safety and immunogenicity update from the Phase 2 VacSYn study in Parkinson’s disease expected in H2 2024 ACI-35.030anti-pTau active immunotherapy First-patient in ReTain Phase 2b clinical trial expected in H1 2024 Anti-TDP-43 antibody Completion of regulatory tox studies expected in H1 2024 TDP-43-PET tracer Phase 1 initiation expected in H2 2024 ACI-15916 a-syn-PET tracer IND-enabling studies in PD expected to be completed in H2 2024 Analysis of Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 31, 2023 Cash Position: The Company had a total cash balance of CHF 103.1 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to a total cash balance of CHF 122.6 million as of December 31, 2022. On February 1, 2024, the Company received the milestone payment of CHF 14.8 million from Janssen for the commencement of ReTain, the ACI-35.030 Phase 2b clinical study. The Company’s cash balance provides sufficient capital resources to progress into at least Q1 2026, assuming potential milestone payment of CHF 24.6 million related to achieving an undisclosed enrolment target for our ACI-35.030 and no other milestones.Contract Revenues: The Company recorded CHF 14.8 million in contract revenues for the year end December 31, 2023 compared with CHF 3.9 million in contract revenues in the prior year. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our contract revenues of CHF 14.8 million were related to the commencement of the first Phase 2b clinical study of ACI-35.030 per our agreement with Janssen.R&D Expenditures: R&D expenses decreased by CHF 5.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to CHF 54.6 million, predominantly due to: Discovery and preclinical expenses (- CHF 5.8 million): The Company decreased expenditures across a variety of its discovery and preclinical programs.Clinical expenses (- CHF 2.0 million): The Company had a net decrease in clinical expenditures largely due the completion of the Phase 1b/2a and the advancement into Phase 2b for our ACI-35.030 active immunotherapy. We increased expenditures for the continued clinical development of our Phase 1b/2 ABATE study for ACI-24.060.Salary- and benefit-related costs (+ CHF 2.2 million): While the staffing position remained stable in 2023, personnel expenses increased due to the annualization of 2022 hires. G&A Expenditures: G&A expenses decreased by CHF 0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to CHF 15.3 million. This decrease is related to a decrease in operating expenses across various cost centers. This is partially offset by an increase in salaries and related costs.Other Operating Income: The Company recorded CHF 1.4 million in grant income for R&D activities performed under our grants for the year ended December 31, 2023.IFRS Loss for the Period: The Company reported a net loss after taxes of CHF 54.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared with a net loss of CHF 70.8 million for the prior period. About AC Immune SA AC Immune SA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and a global leader in precision prevention for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and NeuroOrphan indications driven by misfolded proteins. The Company’s two clinically validated technology platforms, SupraAntigen® and Morphomer®, fuel its broad and diversified pipeline of first- and best-in-class assets, which currently features sixteen therapeutic and diagnostic programs, five of which are currently in Phase 2 clinical trials and one of which is in Phase 3. AC Immune has a strong track record of securing strategic partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical companies, resulting in substantial non-dilutive funding in potential milestone payments plus royalties. SupraAntigen® is a registered trademark of AC Immune SA in the following territories: AU, EU, CH, GB, JP, RU, SG and USA. Morphomer® is a registered trademark of AC Immune SA in CN, CH, GB, JP, KR, NO and RU. The information on our website and any other websites referenced herein is expressly not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this press release. For further information, please contact: SVP, Investor Relations & Corporate CommunicationsGary Waanders, Ph.D., MBAAC ImmunePhone: +41 21 345 91 91Email: gary.waanders@acimmune.comU.S. InvestorsCorey Davis, Ph.D.LifeSci AdvisorsPhone: +1 212 915 2577 Email: cdavis@lifesciadvisors.comInternational MediaChris MaggosCohesion BureauPhone: +41 79 367 6254Email: chris.maggos@cohesionbureau.com Forward looking statementsThis press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical fact and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or AC Immune’s strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” “outlook” or “continue,” and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described under the captions “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in AC Immune’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and AC Immune does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Consolidated Balance Sheets(In CHF thousands) As of December 31, 2023 2022Assets Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 3,376 4,259Right-of-use assets 3,508 2,808Intangible asset 50,416 50,416Long-term financial assets 361 361Total non-current assets 57,661 57,844 Current assets Prepaid expenses 6,437 4,708Accrued income 246 408Other current receivables 622 392Accounts receivable 14,800 —Short-term financial assets 24,554 91,000Cash and cash equivalents 78,494 31,586Total current assets 125,153 128,094Total assets 182,814 185,938 Shareholders' equity and liabilities Shareholders’ equity Share capital 2,089 1,797Share premium 474,907 431,323Treasury shares (105) (124)Currency translation differences (51) 10Accumulated losses (316,197) (264,015)Total shareholders’ equity 160,643 168,991 Non-current liabilities Long-term lease liabilities 2,825 2,253Net employee defined benefit liabilities 5,770 3,213Total non-current liabilities 8,595 5,466 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 1,679 929Accrued expenses 11,087 9,417Deferred income 138 587Short-term lease liabilities 672 548Total current liabilities 13,576 11,481Total liabilities 22,171 16,947Total shareholders’ equity and liabilities 182,814 185,938 Consolidated Statements of Income/(Loss)(In CHF thousands, except for per-share data) For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021Revenue Contract revenue 14,801 3,935 —Total revenue 14,801 3,935 — Operating expenses Research & development expenses (54,606) (60,336) (62,282)General & administrative expenses (15,305) (15,789) (17,910)Other operating income/(expense), net 1,486 1,343 1,182Total operating expenses (68,425) (74,782) (79,010)Operating loss (53,624) (70,847) (79,010) Financial income 1,044 69 6,485Financial expense (176) (355) (581)Exchange differences (1,467) 393 113Finance result, net (599) 107 6,017 Loss before tax (54,223) (70,740) (72,993)Income tax expense (10) (13) (3)Loss for the period (54,233) (70,753) (72,996) Loss per share: Basic and diluted loss for the period attributable to equity holders (0.64) (0.85) (0.97) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss)(In CHF thousands) For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021Loss for the period (54,233) (70,753) (72,996)Items that may be reclassified to income or loss in subsequent periods (net of tax): Currency translation differences (61) 10 —Items that will not to be reclassified to income or loss in subsequent periods (net of tax): Remeasurement gains/(losses) on defined-benefit plans (net of tax) (1,669) 4,426 956Other comprehensive income/(loss) (1,730) 4,436 956Total comprehensive loss, net of tax (55,963) (66,317) (72,040) Attachment 20240314_ACIU_Q4_Earnings_FINAL-pg

Researchers have shown that targeting a gene regulated by two cancer-fuelling proteins can kill cancerous cells and halt their growth in laboratory models of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Researchers have found a new way to potentially treat one of the most common forms of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The study, led by WEHI and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, was able to kill leukaemia cells in the lab and stop cancer cells from growing, after identifying two new proteins critical for the development of the aggressive disease. The findings could lead to enhanced treatment options in the future, with plans underway to develop a clinical trial based on the research. Around 5200 people are diagnosed with a form of leukaemia in Australia each year. An estimated 1500 of these cases are acute -- meaning the blood cancer appears suddenly and grows quickly. Blood cancers like leukaemia are notoriously difficult to treat in adults, with 50% of Australian patients relapsing after the first round of chemotherapy and subsequently becoming resistant to further treatments. Associate Professor Ashley Ng, a corresponding author on the paper, said this presented a unique treatment challenge for these blood cancers and highlighted the urgent need for new therapeutics. "About 135,000 people live with a blood cancer or blood disorder in Australia, with 16 people dying every day from the disease," Assoc Prof Ng, a WEHI researcher and clinical haematologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, said. "Despite the medical advancements made in the cancer field over the years, the incidence of blood cancer has grown by 47% in the past decade. "The best way to enhance treatment options for patients is to continually improve our understanding of how leukaemia cancers behave and what drives their growth. "Our new research has identified two proteins that are critical for the development of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, expanding our knowledge into how these cancers can form. "By uncovering this new vulnerability in leukaemia formation, we hope to exploit the findings for therapeutic benefit and also apply them to other forms of the disease." The research is published in the journal Science Advances. Master regulators Assoc Prof Ng has spent over a decade researching a protein that regulates gene activity in the cell nucleus, known as ERG. Imbalances in this protein can lead to blood cancers, like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. His previous research uncovered the protein's critical role in Down syndrome associated blood disease and normal blood cell function, including how B cells -- which are essential for producing antibodies to fight against infections -- develop. First author Dr Kira Behrens said the research team wanted to understand what other types of proteins ERG works with to fuel leukaemia development. "We looked at the proteins that control how specific genes switch 'on' or 'off' to analyse how normal B-cells -- and critically -- B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia -- can develop," Dr Behrens said. "After analysing the genes regulated by ERG and another protein, c-MYC, we discovered that these proteins were actually the master regulators of several important pathways and processes within the leukaemia cell." Researchers then narrowed the list down to focus on one pathway essential for making proteins, known as ribosome biogenesis. This led the team to focus on targeting a key gene essential to this pathway, POL I, which is also controlled by these master regulator proteins. The gene helps direct an important cell growth and division process that can lead to the development of cancer if it goes awry. Dr Behrens said: "By targeting POL I with inhibitors, we were able to kill leukaemia cells and stop their growth in our pre-clinical and human tissue models." "This was a surprising, yet remarkable discovery, as we were able to unravel a new pathway and potential drug target that can hopefully be used in the fight against leukaemia in the future." The study also involved a collaboration with Associate Professor Elaine Sanij (St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research) whose work focuses on targeting POL I and ribosome biogenesis in cancer therapy. "The findings show that a subset of aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia exhibit a form of addiction to producing of ribosomes, the protein making molecular machinery," Assoc Prof Sanij said. "They render this aggressive leukaemia sensitive to POL I inhibitors which target ribosome production. "Altogether, our work highlights the importance of developing this new approach to cancer therapy to treat oncogene-driven cancers." Collaborative power One of the drugs used in the study to target POL I was an agent developed by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Professor Rick Pearson, former Associate Director of Laboratory Research at Peter Mac, said the team hopes to mimic the study in a future clinical trial to help patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. "We worked with WEHI researchers to confirm our agent is effective in targeting POL I activity and demonstrated its potency in impeding the leukaemia cell growth and division. "These findings highlight the power of collaboration and the remarkable results that can be achieved when bringing together experts from across various areas. "We hope this research will translate into successful clinical trials and potentially offer doctors a new treatment option for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia," Professor Pearson said. This research was supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Cancer Council Victoria, National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia, the Leukaemia Foundation and Victorian Cancer Agency. The study, "ERG and c-MYC Regulate a Critical Gene Network in BCR::ABL1-Driven B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia," is published in Science Advances.

BOSTON, March 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerevance, a company focused on developing precision novel therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today announced plans to present a poster at the upcoming Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference, taking place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, March 20-21, 2024. Presentation details Title: The Two-Pore Potassium Channel KCNK13 (THIK1) as a Target to Modulate Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease Overview: Cerevance’s NETSseq platform enables the identification of novel targets, such as KCNK13 (THIK1), from specific cell types in the human brain. Following the discovery of KCNK13, Cerevance has developed CVN293, a novel compound that selectively inhibits KCNK13 and reduces the release of IL-1β from microglia dependent on NLRP3. CVN293 shows promise in potentially addressing CNS conditions characterized by neuroinflammation, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease. Presenter: Heleen van ‘t Spijker, Jake Kinsella Poster Number: 10.10 About Cerevance Cerevance is focused on the development of precision treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, prioritizing chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Utilizing a large and growing collection of over 14,000 human brain tissue samples, Cerevance is generating an unprecedented level of expression and epigenetic data thereby enabling the company to identify the most promising targets for the next generation of treatments for CNS disorders. The company uses its proprietary NETSseq platform and advanced machine learning techniques to uncover the gene expression profiles of select cell types to identify novel targets that are uniquely expressed in relevant circuits affected by diseases or are altered in disease states. With the information obtained from its research, combined with the expertise of its team of scientists and drug developers, Cerevance is advancing multiple therapeutics that selectively modulate the discovered targets. These treatments are progressing through clinical development, with CVN424, CVN766, and CVN293 being the furthest along in the pipeline. CVN424 is a first-in-class non-dopamine therapy that shows promise in improving both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and may also have disease-delaying effects. CVN766 is a potent antagonist of the orexin 1 receptor with high selectivity over the orexin 2 receptor which may benefit a variety of psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, anxiety/panic, binge eating/obesity, substance use disorder, and Prader-Willi Syndrome. CVN293 is a novel blocker of potassium efflux in glia, regulating the inflammasome in individuals living with ALS and Alzheimer's disease. Cerevance’s robust pipeline aims to transform the lives of patients affected by CNS diseases. Contacts Cerevance: Johnna Simoes, ir@cerevance.com Media: Andrew Mielach, amielach@lifescicomms.com, +1-646-876-5868