The goal of this study is to advance a first-in-class, new small molecule treatment for early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Varoglutamstat (PQ912) is an oral, twice daily medication that addresses a novel and significantly differentiated amyloid target: N-terminal post-translationally modified Ab (pGlu-Ab), a particularly toxic subspecies of amyloid beta (Ab). This study will further evaluate whether varoglutamstat's mechanism of action can result in a measurable therapeutic effect on cognition, function and relevant pharmacodynamic and biological markers in early AD.~The study is a phase 2A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel group trial, with a stage gate to phase 2B. Phase 2A will determine the highest dose that is both safe and well tolerated. During this phase, there is an adaptive dosing evaluation, using a well-defined safety stopping boundary, of three dose levels with exposure to varoglutamstat or placebo for a minimum of 24 weeks to help determine which dose will be carried forward in phase 2B. A sequential dose design will be employed in phase 2A where each of three dose cohorts are randomized equally to placebo or varoglutamstat and treated for at least 8 weeks at the originally assigned full dose. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to varoglutamstat or placebo, and stratified between mild AD and MCI, as well as by site.~Phase 2A also includes preliminary evaluation of both cognitive function and pharmacodynamics changes on electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral analysis.~In the event that the stage gate for phase 2B is reached from data in this phase 2A study, then phase 2B will assess the longer-term efficacy and safety of varoglutamstat in a larger study group, using the highest dose selected in phase 2A. In phase 2B, a composite cognitive and functional measure as well as PD biomarkers will be used to evaluate efficacy during the extended treatment period.
This is a phase 2A multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of varoglutamstat, with a stage gate to phase 2B.~In phase 2A there will be adaptive dosing evaluation of three dose levels with exposure to varoglutamstat or placebo for a minimum of 24 weeks, with preliminary evaluation of both cognitive function and pharmacodynamic changes on EEG spectral analysis in approximately 180 participants.~In the event that the stage gate for phase 2B is reached, then phase 2B will assesses efficacy and longer-term safety in a larger study group, i.e., 414.