Quantification of Cinpanemab (BIIB054) Binding to α- Synuclein in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Phase 1 Single Ascending...

Through its pathological and genetic association to Parkinson's Disease (PD), α-synuclein (α-syn) remains a favorable therapeutic target that is being investigated using various modalities, including many passive immunotherapy approaches clinically targeting different forms of α-syn and epitopes. Whereas published studies from some immunotherapy trials have demonstrated engagement in plasma, none have shown direct drug-antigen interactions in the disease-relevant compartment, the central nervous system (CNS). Cinpanemab (BIIB054) selectively targets pathological aggregated α-syn with low affinity binding to monomeric forms. The avidity-driven binding, low drug concentration, and the very low α-syn levels plus its heterogeneous nature in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) made it not possible to measure drug-target interactions by conventional assays. Here we overcame these challenges by using zero-length crosslinking to stabilize the BIIB054-α-syn complexes and then quantified the crosslinked complexes using a Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) electrochemiluminescence assay. CSF samples from healthy volunteers (HV, n=46) and individuals with PD (PD, n=18) from study 228HV101 (Phase I clinical trial of BIIB054), demonstrated dose- and time- dependent binding of cinpanemab to α-syn with measurable complexes detected at doses {greater than or equal to}15 mg/kg. Complex formation displayed a direct positive correlation to drug concentration (Spearman rank correlation = 0.8295 (HV), 0.8032 (PD) p < 0.0001 (HV, PD)). The observed binding of cinpanemab to α-syn in CSF is consistent with its low intrinsic affinity for α-syn monomer and provides evidence that the drug is behaving with expected binding dynamics in the central nervous system compartment. Significance Statement A zero-length cross-linking method with MSD detection was developed to enable quantification of cinpanemab-α-syn complexes in Phase 1 clinical CSF samples by preventing signal loss caused by their rapid dissociation. Observed dose- and time-dependent binding were consistent with cinpanemab's affinity for α-syn and provided confidence that the drug had engaged its target at the desired site of action. This is the first demonstration of α-syn binding by an antibody in clinical samples from the CNS.