Voyager Presents Robust Preclinical Data
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to leveraging genetics to treat neurological diseases, today reported new data from its two preclinical programs targeting tau for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Data on tau silencing gene therapy VY1706 and anti-tau antibody VY7523 will be presented at the upcoming 2025 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders (AD/PD™ 2025), taking place April 1-5, 2025, in Vienna.
“Emerging data continue to strengthen our conviction that tau is the next critical target in Alzheimer’s disease, which supports Voyager’s advancement of both antibody and gene therapy approaches,” said Toby Ferguson, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Voyager Therapeutics. “When I look across the design of these two molecules, the preclinical data each has generated, and the emerging clinical profile for our antibody, I believe our anti-tau antibody and gene therapy each have the potential to be transformative for patients.”
New preclinical data show that the murine version of Voyager’s VY7523 demonstrates selectivity for binding pathologic tau tangles. Additionally, Voyager assessed several anti-tau antibodies using a P301S mouse hippocampal seeding model of tau spread. Antibodies that bind the N-terminal of tau and previously failed to achieve their primary endpoints in clinical studies also failed to significantly reduce tau spread in the model. Conversely, the murine version of Voyager’s VY7523, which targets the C-terminal of tau, reduced tau spread in the model, as did a third-party mid-domain antibody that has been shown to reduce tau accumulation in a clinical trial. Voyager is currently assessing VY7523 in a multiple ascending dose trial in patients with early AD and expects initial tau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data in the second half of 2026.
About VY1706
VY1706 is an IV-administered gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease that combines a potent siRNA construct to decrease the expression of tau with an IV-delivered, blood-brain barrier-penetrant TRACER™ capsid. In preclinical non-human primate (NHP) studies, a single IV administration of VY1706 was well-tolerated and resulted in dose-dependent knockdown of tau mRNA (44% to 73%) and tau protein (27% to 55%) broadly across the brain. Voyager anticipates filing an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a clinical trial application (CTA) with Health Canada in 2026.
About VY7523
VY7523 is an IV-administered, recombinant, humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody developed to inhibit the spread of pathological tau, which is closely correlated with disease progression and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. VY7523 is selective for pathological tau and targets a specific C-terminal epitope of tau. In preclinical in vivo studies, the murine version of VY7523 inhibited seeding and spread of pathological tau by approximately 70%. In a Phase 1, single ascending dose (SAD) clinical trial in healthy volunteers, VY7523 demonstrated a safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic profile warranting advancement. Voyager is currently assessing VY7523 in a multiple ascending dose trial in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease and expects initial tau PET imaging data in the second half of 2026.
