INmune Surges Higher On Interim Alzheimer's Data

Micro-cap biotech INmune Bio Inc INMB is advancing strongly Tuesday following a positive clinical readout from the company.

What Happened: The La Jolla, California-based company released interim results from a Phase 1b study of its lead drug candidate XPro 1595 in Alzheimer's disease, showing the investigational drug reduced neuroinflammation by 40.6% in a brain fiber pathway, which is important for learning and memory.

XPro1595 is an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, that selectively neutralizes soluble TNF, an inflammatory cytokine involved in Alzheimer's pathology.

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Why It's Important: Treatment with XPro1595 decreased white matter free water, a biomarker of neuroinflammation measured by MRI, the company said.

"We are extremely encouraged by these findings at such an early stage in our clinical trial," said CJ Barnum, Director of Neuroscience at INmune.

"Not only do we see a clear reduction in neuroinflammation, but we also know where in the brain this is occurring, which may inform us on the domains of cognition that might be affected."

INmune shares were jumping 79.10% to $15.85.