Biotechnology company Alector Therapeutics announced on October 27 that it has completed enrollment for INFRONT-3, a Phase 3 clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of the drug latozinemab as an intervention for cases of FTD caused by a variant of the gene GRN. The drug is being developed by Alector in collaboration with the biopharmaceuticals firm GSK.  

“By achieving target enrollment in INFRONT-3, we are an important step closer to generating data from this pivotal trial of latozinemab,” said Arnon Rosenthal, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alector in a press release. “Currently, there are no approved treatment options available for any form of FTD, and we are eager to learn more about the potential of latozinemab.” 

While recruitment for FTD-based clinical trials is already challenging, recruiting for trials for FTD caused by specific genes is made more difficult by the smaller field of participants with a confirmed variant. Despite these obstacles, INFRONT-3 successfully enrolled 101 participants with a confirmed GRN variant, demonstrating the feasibility of large-scale FTD trials and the desire of persons diagnosed to contribute to research and make the FTD journey easier for the next family.  

FTD-GRN is caused by variations in the GRN gene that suppress the production of progranulin, a protein that aids cell survival and helps regulate inflammation. Latozinemab increases the progranulin level by inhibiting a receptor that naturally degrades the protein.  

INFRONT-3 is the closest that researchers in the FTD field have come to an FDA-approved drug for treating FTD. During this stage of the clinical trial, Alector will collect data from participants to evaluate how the drug performs and determine if it is safe to use. Once the Phase 3 trial is completed, reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will examine data submitted by Alector to decide whether to approve the drug.  

Alector Chief Medical Officer Gary Romano, MD, PhD, spoke with AFTD earlier this year to discuss the company’s work to develop an FDA-approved therapeutic for FTD.  

Are you interested in contributing to studies like INFRONT-3 that are working to bring an end to FTD? Check out AFTD’s Studies Seeking Participants page for studies and trials that are actively recruiting. Signing up for the FTD Disorders Registry is another way that persons diagnosed, care partners, and family can participate in research.