PHAGO · Project

New Drug Targets for Alzheimer's by Reprogramming the Brain's Immune Cells

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Your brain has its own clean-up crew — tiny immune cells called microglia that are supposed to eat harmful protein clumps linked to Alzheimer's. In many patients, these clean-up cells carry genetic mutations that make them sluggish or even toxic instead of protective. PHAGO figured out exactly how two key genetic switches — TREM2 and CD33 — control these cells, and built the laboratory tools needed to flip those switches back on. The goal is to give drug makers validated targets so they can develop treatments that restore the brain's own defenses against Alzheimer's.

By the numbers

EUR 8,838,000

EU contribution to the project

consortium partners

countries represented

industry partners in consortium

total deliverables produced

62%

industry partner ratio

SMEs in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Alzheimer's disease affects tens of millions worldwide, yet most drug candidates targeting amyloid plaques have failed in clinical trials. The pharmaceutical industry urgently needs validated alternative drug targets backed by solid preclinical evidence. Companies exploring neuroinflammation-based therapies lack standardized assays and well-characterized tools to screen compounds against immune receptors like TREM2 and CD33.

The solution

What was built

PHAGO produced 36 deliverables including characterized molecular tools for TREM2 and CD33, ligands, reporter cells, optimised screening assays, receptor knock-in and knock-out animal models crossed with two AD models, patient iPSC-derived microglia, brain imaging data from AD patients with gene variants, and identified receptor-related biomarkers in Alzheimer's patients.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharma companies with Alzheimer's or CNS drug pipelinesBiotech firms developing neuroinflammation therapeuticsDiagnostic companies building neurodegenerative disease biomarker panelsContract research organizations offering CNS drug screening servicesAcademic spin-offs commercializing iPSC-derived cell models

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceuticals

enterprise

Target: Large pharma companies with neuroscience pipelines

If you are a pharmaceutical company searching for validated Alzheimer's drug targets — this project delivered characterized TREM2 and CD33 molecular tools, receptor ligand interactions, and optimised assays ready for drug development screening. With 13 industry partners already involved across 9 countries, the preclinical groundwork is done. You could license these assay platforms and target data to accelerate your own CNS pipeline without years of basic discovery work.

Diagnostics & Biomarkers

mid-size

Target: Diagnostic companies developing neurodegenerative disease tests

If you are a diagnostics company looking for reliable Alzheimer's biomarkers — PHAGO identified receptor-related biomarkers in AD patients and characterized how TREM2 and CD33 variants appear in brain imaging. These biomarkers could form the basis for early-detection blood tests or companion diagnostics. The project used patient iPSC-derived microglia to validate gene variant phenotypes, providing a solid biological foundation for diagnostic development.

Contract Research & Biotech

any

Target: CROs and biotech firms offering drug screening services

If you are a contract research organization or biotech needing cutting-edge neuroinflammation assay tools — PHAGO generated ligands, reporter cells, and optimised assays specifically designed for screening compounds that target TREM2 and CD33. These ready-made tools can expand your service catalogue for clients pursuing Alzheimer's therapies. The project's knock-in and knock-out animal models crossed with two different AD models offer a validated in vivo testing platform.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access PHAGO's tools and data?

PHAGO was funded with EUR 8,838,000 in EU contribution under an IMI2 (Innovative Medicines Initiative) public-private partnership. Licensing terms for the assays, ligands, and reporter cells would need to be negotiated with the consortium partners. IMI2 projects typically have pre-agreed IP frameworks between the public and industry participants.

Can these results be used at industrial scale for drug screening?

The project delivered optimised assays, ligands, and reporter cells specifically described as 'suitable for further development of treatments targeting TREM2 and/or CD33.' These tools are designed for preclinical screening scale. Moving to high-throughput industrial drug screening would require additional validation and scale-up.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

PHAGO was an IMI2 project with 21 partners including 13 industry participants. IP ownership follows the IMI2 framework where results typically belong to the partner that generated them. With major pharma involvement, licensing pathways are likely already structured. Contact the coordinator for specific IP terms.

How close are these findings to an actual Alzheimer's treatment?

PHAGO explicitly states it delivers 'targets and markers ready to progress to drug development' — meaning the project completed target validation and tool generation, not drug candidates themselves. This is preclinical-stage work. A drug based on these targets would still need lead identification, optimization, and clinical trials.

What makes TREM2 and CD33 better drug targets than existing approaches?

Genetic variants of both TREM2 and CD33 have been directly linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease risk. Unlike amyloid-focused approaches that have seen high clinical failure rates, targeting the brain's immune response through these receptors represents a different mechanism of action. PHAGO validated this through receptor knock-in and knock-out models crossed with two different AD animal models.

Is there regulatory precedent for neuroinflammation-based therapies?

Based on available project data, PHAGO focused on preclinical target validation rather than regulatory submissions. However, the project's brain imaging work on AD patients with TREM2 and CD33 variants could support future biomarker-based regulatory strategies. The IMI2 framework is designed to align with European regulatory expectations.

Consortium

Who built it

PHAGO's consortium of 21 partners across 9 countries is heavily industry-weighted at 62%, with 13 industry players alongside 6 universities and 2 research organizations. This is a hallmark of the IMI2 funding model where pharma companies co-invest alongside EU public funding. The strong industry presence — including likely major pharmaceutical companies given the Alzheimer's focus and IMI2 structure — means the research was shaped by commercial drug development needs from day one. For a business looking to access these results, the existing industry partners are both potential collaborators and competitors. The 2 SMEs suggest some openness to smaller biotech involvement. The coordinator, Universitätsklinikum Bonn in Germany, is a leading academic medical center with strong translational research credentials.

UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM BONNCoordinator · DE
ABBVIE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH & CO KGparticipant · DE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR NEURODEGENERATIVE ERKRANKUNGEN EVparticipant · DE
THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEparticipant · UK
ASTRAZENECA ABparticipant · SE
F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE AGparticipant · CH
ORION OYJparticipant · FI
LIFE AND BRAIN GMBHparticipant · DE
H. LUNDBECK ASparticipant · DK
CHARITE - UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN BERLINparticipant · DE
PNO Innovationparticipant · FR
SANOFI-AVENTIS RECHERCHE & DEVELOPPEMENTparticipant · FR
AXXAM SPAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY LTDparticipant · UK
PNO INNOVATION GMBHthirdparty · DE
GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICA NVparticipant · BE
KING'S COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany — reach out to the neuroscience or immunology department leads involved in TREM2 research

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM BONN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the PHAGO consortium for licensing assay tools or exploring TREM2/CD33 drug targets? SciTransfer can connect you with the right research leads.

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