Path: /organizations/alector
Type: Biotechnology Company
Headquarters: South San Francisco, California, USA
Founded: 2013
Stock: NASDAQ (ALEC)
Alector is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in South San Francisco, California, focused on developing immuno-neurology therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The company's novel approach targets the brain's immune system (microglia) as a central mechanism for treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other neurodegenerative conditions[1]. Founded in 2013 by leading neuroscientists, Alector pioneered the field of immuno-neurology, which aims to harness the brain's innate immune system to combat neurodegeneration.
The company's name derives from "alector," the Latin word for "rooster," symbolizing vigilance and awakening — reflecting Alector's mission to "wake up" the brain's immune system to clear pathological proteins that accumulate in neurodegenerative diseases.
Alector was founded by Dr. Arnon Rosenthal, a renowned immunologist, along with leading neuroscientists from academic institutions including University of California, San Francisco and Massachusetts General Hospital. The company's founding was based on groundbreaking research identifying genetic variants in immune-related genes as major risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases.
Key scientific milestones that led to Alector's founding:
| Year | Round | Amount | Key Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Series A | $32M | Third Point Ventures, Google Ventures (GV) |
| 2017 | Series B | $47M | Google Ventures, Foresite Labs |
| 2019 | Series C | $226M | Third Point Ventures, Perceptive Advisors |
| 2021 | Series D | $150M | Goldman Sachs, Arrowmark Partners |
| 2019 | IPO | $120M | NASDAQ: ALEC |
| Program | Target | Indication | Stage | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL101 (Latoffermin) | Progranulin (PGRN) | Alzheimer's disease | Phase 2 | GSK |
| AL002 | TREM2 agonist | Alzheimer's disease | Phase 2 | Roche |
| AL137-ABC | Amyloid-beta antibody | Alzheimer's disease | Preclinical | — |
| AL050-ABC | GCase (ERT) | Parkinson's disease | Preclinical | — |
AL101 (latoffermin) is Alector's lead clinical program, designed to increase progranulin levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease and FTD[5]. Progranulin is a lysosomal protein encoded by the GRN gene, and haploinsufficiency due to GRN mutations causes approximately 5-10% of familial FTD cases[6].
Mechanism: AL101 is a monoclonal antibody that binds to progranulin and increases its plasma half-life, thereby elevating progranulin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain. This approach aims to:
Clinical Development:
GSK Partnership: In 2021, Alector entered a strategic collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline for the development and commercialization of AL101[7]. The agreement includes:
AL002 is a TREM2 agonist antibody designed to enhance microglial function in Alzheimer's disease[8]. TREM2 (Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2) is a microglial receptor critical for the brain's immune response to amyloid pathology[4:1].
Mechanism: AL002 works by:
Clinical Development:
Roche Partnership: Alector collaborated with Roche for the development of AL002, leveraging Roche's expertise in Alzheimer's disease clinical development and global commercialization infrastructure.
AL137-ABC is a next-generation anti-amyloid-beta antibody designed to remove brain amyloid plaques with potentially reduced ARIA (Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities) risk[9].
Features:
AL050-ABC is an enzyme replacement therapy for glucocerebrosidase (GCase), designed for patients with Parkinson's disease who carry GBA gene mutations[9:1].
Indication: Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Gaucher disease
Mechanism: Delivers functional GCase enzyme to the brain to improve lysosomal function
| Program | Target | Indication | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL064-ABC | Tau-siRNA | AD, FTD | Research |
| ADP062-ABC | α-Syn-siRNA | PD | Research |
| ADP065-ABC | NLRP3-siRNA | Neuroinflammation | Research |
Alector's immuno-neurology platform is built on the understanding that genetic variants in immune-related genes are major risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases[10]. The company develops:
TREM2 is a type I transmembrane receptor expressed primarily on microglia in the central nervous system[11]. It serves as a critical sensor of lipid-containing ligands and mediates:
Rare loss-of-function variants in TREM2 increase Alzheimer's disease risk approximately 3-fold, making it one of the strongest genetic risk factors identified since APOE[2:1]. Key variants include:
TREM2 represents a promising therapeutic target because[12]:
See TREM2 Signaling and Progranulin.
Progranulin is a secreted glycoprotein that plays essential roles in[13]:
Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the GRN gene cause progranulin haploinsufficiency, leading to[6:1]:
See Progranulin Therapy.
Alector's ABC platform is a proprietary brain delivery system designed to enhance therapeutic delivery across the blood-brain barrier[14]. The platform enables:
Alector maintains research collaborations with leading academic institutions:
While Alector focuses primarily on Alzheimer's and FTD, their programs have relevance to PSP and other tauopathies:
| Company | Drug | Target | Mechanism | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen/Eisai | Leqembi | Amyloid-beta | Antibody | Approved |
| Eli Lilly | Donanemab | Amyloid-beta | Antibody | Approved |
| Eli Lilly | Remternetug | Amyloid-beta | Antibody | Phase 3 |
| Roche | Gantenerumab | Amyloid-beta | Antibody | Phase 3 |
| Biogen | BIIB080 | Tau | ASO | Phase 1/2 |
| Alector | AL101 | Progranulin | Antibody | Phase 2 |
| Alector | AL002 | TREM2 | Agonist | Phase 2 |
Alector's science has been published in leading journals: