GSK has officially pulled out of its neuroscience research partnership with Alector, following the collapse of two experimental drug programs targeting serious brain diseases, the biotech company announced Wednesday.
The collaboration, established in 2021, centered on developing two monoclonal antibody drugs — latozinemab and nivisnebart — intended to combat dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Both drugs encountered significant clinical failures that ultimately led to the breakdown of the agreement.
The first blow came when a late-stage clinical trial of latozinemab — tested against a rare inherited form of frontotemporal dementia — failed last year. Then in April, a mid-stage trial of nivisnebart for Alzheimer’s disease was discontinued after an interim analysis determined the study was unlikely to achieve its primary objective.
Under the original 2021 deal, Alector received $700 million upfront from GSK, with the potential to earn up to $1.5 billion more through milestone payments tied to drug development progress and royalties. That potential now appears lost.
The fallout from the latozinemab failure was severe enough that Alector cut nearly half of its workforce. GSK formally submitted written termination notice on July 6, triggering a 180-day notice period that will bring the partnership to a close on January 2 of next year.
