Press Release: AC Immune Third Quarter 2026 Financial and Corporate Update

Dow Jones11-04

AC Immune Third Quarter 2026 Financial and Corporate Update

Positive clinical and regulatory progress achieved across wholly-owned pipeline

   -- ACI-7104 received FDA Fast Track designation, Investigational New Drug 
      (IND) clearance, and reported positive Part 1 week-100 results from the 
      Phase 2 VacSYn trial in Parkinson's disease 
 
   -- Positive interim safety and tolerability results from the Phase 1 trial 
      of NLRP3 inhibitor ACI-19764 in healthy volunteers 
 
   -- Lead candidate declared in Morphomer(R) small molecule program targeting 
      intracellular alpha-synuclein (a-syn) 
 
   -- Further clinical data anticipated before year-end for ACI-7104 and early 
      in 2027 for ACI-19764 
 
   -- Cash resources of CHF 73.9 million as of September 30, 2026, providing 
      cash runway into Q1 2028 

Lausanne, Switzerland, November 4, 2026 -- AC Immune SA $(ACIU)$, a clinical-stage biopharma company targeting the key pathologic misfolded proteins and pathways that drive neurodegenerative diseases, today provided financial and corporate updates for the quarter ended September 30, 2026.

Martin Zügel, Interim CEO of AC Immune SA, commented: "This quarter was an important period for AC Immune as we saw our pipeline of wholly-owned programs delivering positive clinical results. Our proprietary programs targeting a-syn have seen important developments including encouraging clinical results for ACI-7104 in Parkinson's disease and the recent nomination of a lead small-molecule Morphomer(R) candidate drug which will now be entering preclinical development. Together with the initial hsCRP results in the Phase 1b trial to be reported in the early part of next year, we believe we are well positioned across our portfolio moving into 2027."

Q3 2026 and Subsequent Highlights: Wholly-Owned Programs

ACI-7104: anti-a-syn active immunotherapy

   -- Positive safety and immunogenicity results reported through week-100 in 
      Part 1 of VacSYn, the ongoing Phase 2 trial evaluating ACI-7104 in 
      patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease. 
 
   -- Strong immunogenicity demonstrated, with 100% response rate after three 
      immunizations, clear antibody penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid 
      $(CSF)$ and preliminary signals for target engagement. 
 
   -- Exploratory correlation analyses identified trends for a potential 
      association between immunogenicity (antibody levels) and disease activity 
      measures. 
 
   -- Data will be available before year-end on the characterization of 
      ACI-7104-induced antibodies including their a-syn binding properties 
 
   -- Discussions with FDA regarding future development path planned for early 
      2027. 
   -- ACI-7104 also received FDA Fast Track designation and clearance of its 
      Investigational New Drug (IND) application during the period. 

Morphomer-a-syn small molecule program

   -- Lead candidate Morphomer(R) small-molecule drug targeting a-syn has been 
      selected. 
   -- In vitro results have confirmed its potent inhibition of a-syn 
      aggregation. Early-stage results will be presented in due course at an 
      upcoming scientific conference. 
   -- Preclinical development has now been initiated to take the candidate 
      forward. 

ACI-19764: small molecule, brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor program

   -- Results in healthy volunteers were reported from the Phase 1 clinical 
      trial showing the compound was safe and well-tolerated across single and 
      multiple ascending dose cohorts with confirmed CSF penetration. 
   -- Based on pharmacokinetic data, the therapeutic dose is expected to be 
      <=10mg once daily. 
 
   -- The development program continues in a Phase 1b trial evaluating 
      ACI-19764's anti-inflammatory activity in patients with cardiovascular 
      disease risk (elevated hsCRP), with initial results expected early in 
      2027. 

Corporate Governance

   -- Mr. Tom Graney was elected to the Board of Directors at the Extraordinary 
      General Meeting (EGM) held on October 2nd and will join the Audit and 
      Finance Committee. After several years of service, Dr. Carl June stepped 
      down from the Board of Directors and we thank him sincerely for his 
      contribution and wish him well for the future. 

Anticipated near-term news

 
Program                           News                             Expected in 
--------------------------------  -------------------------------  ----------- 
ACI-7104                          characterization of              H2 2026 
 anti-a-syn active immunotherapy  ACI-7104-induced antibodies 
                                  including a-syn binding 
                                  properties 
--------------------------------  -------------------------------  ----------- 
ACI-19764                         Results from Phase 1b trial in   H1 2027 
 NLRP3 inhibitor                  patient cohort with elevated 
                                  hsCRP 
--------------------------------  -------------------------------  ----------- 
 

Analysis of Financial Statements for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2026

   -- Cash Position: The Company had total cash resources of CHF 73.9 million 
      (CHF 91.4 million as of December 31, 2025), composed of CHF 18.7 million 
      in cash and cash equivalents and CHF 55.2 million in short-term financial 
      assets. The Company's cash resources are expected to provide sufficient 
      capital to last into Q1 2028, excluding potential milestone payments. 
 
   -- Revenue: Total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 
      2025 were CHF 3.2 million and CHF 0.9 million, respectively. The increase 
      was due to the recognition of revenues under the Takeda arrangements, 
      which include recognition of the additional consideration received for 
      the AD4 Cohort in 2026. 
   -- R&D expenditures: R&D expenses for the three months ended September 30, 
      2026, were CHF 9.9 million, compared with CHF 13.1 million for the 
      comparable period in 2025. The decrease was partly due to lower personnel 
      and operational spend of CHF 2.2 million and a decrease of CHF 1.9 
      million in our discovery and preclinical programs following the 
      restructuring in the prior year. These changes were offset by a net 
      increase of CHF 1.0 million in our clinical programs. 
   -- G&A expenditures: G&A expenses were CHF 3.5 million in the three-month 
      period ended September 30, 2026, compared to CHF 3.6 million for same 
      period in 2025, reflecting a small decrease in personnel related expenses 
      offset by other operational costs. 
   -- Financial result: The financial result was a gain of CHF 1.1 million for 
      the three-month period ended September 30, 2026, compared with a gain of 
      CHF 0.3 million for the comparable period in 2025. The change was 
      primarily driven by more favorable exchange differences in the current 
      quarter. 
   -- IFRS loss for the period: The Company had a net loss of CHF 8.8 million 
      for the three-month period ended September 30, 2026, compared to CHF 15.9 
      million for the same period in 2025. 

Ends

For further information, please contact:

 
SVP, Investor Relations & Corporate 
 Communications 
 Gary Waanders, Ph.D., MBA 
 AC Immune 
 Phone: +41 21 345 91 91 
 Email: gary.waanders@acimmune.com 
International Media 
 Optimum Strategic Communications 
 Nick Bastin, Joshua Evans, Aoife 
 Minihan, Ben Cowe 
 Phone: +44 (0) 20 4566 8543 
 Email: acimmune@optimumcomms.com 
 
 

About AC Immune SA

AC Immune (NASDAQ: ACIU) is a clinical-stage biopharma company selectively targeting the key pathologic misfolded proteins and pathways that drive neurodegenerative diseases. Building on more than two decades of expertise in the field of misfolded proteins, AC Immune is advancing a diversified portfolio of disease-modifying active immunotherapies and small molecule approaches.

AC Immune's wholly-owned pipeline includes its lead program, ACI-7104, in Phase 2 development for early Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting c.10 million people worldwide with no approved disease-modifying therapies today. By targeting misfolded alpha-synuclein, a key driver of PD progression, ACI-7104 aims to slow, or halt, the spread of the disease throughout the brain before irreversible neurological damage occurs. The Company is also advancing ACI-19764, an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor in Phase 1, and a preclinical intracellular small molecule alpha-synuclein program.

AC Immune has built one of the most extensively validated neurodegenerative disease pipelines in biotech, including three active immunotherapies with FDA Fast Track designation, and programs being developed in collaboration with three of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. These collaborations provide external validation of the Company's science, targets and proprietary platforms while contributing substantial non-dilutive funding, more than $4.5 billion in potential milestone payments, and future royalty opportunities. By combining deep expertise in protein misfolding with differentiated technology platforms and clinically validated targets, AC Immune is advancing a new generation of disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to make a real difference for patients.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. The information on our website and any other websites referenced herein is expressly not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this press release.

Forward looking statements

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical fact and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or AC Immune's strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "projects," "potential," "outlook" or "continue," and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described under the captions "Item 3. Key Information -- Risk Factors" and "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" in AC Immune's Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and AC Immune does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

(In CHF thousands)

 
 
                                                         As of 
                                              September 30,  December 31, 
                                                  2026           2025 
Assets 
Non-current assets 
  Property, plant and equipment                       1,751         1,989 
  Right-of-use assets                                 3,850         4,540 
  Intangible asset                                   50,416        50,416 
  Long-term financial assets                            585           584 
Total non-current assets                             56,602        57,529 
 
Current assets 
  Prepaid expenses                                    4,631         3,972 
  Accrued income                                        158           360 
  Other current receivables                           3,905           978 
  Short-term financial assets                        55,186        64,617 
  Cash and cash equivalents                          18,726        26,795 
Total current assets                                 82,606        96,722 
Total assets                                        139,208       154,251 
 
Shareholders' equity and liabilities 
 
Shareholders' equity 
  Share capital                                       2,268         2,253 
  Share premium                                     484,148       481,863 
  Treasury shares                                     (213)         (218) 
  Currency translation differences                      (5)             7 
  Accumulated losses                              (459,254)     (439,021) 
Total shareholders' equity                           26,944        44,884 
 
Non-current liabilities 
  Long-term deferred income                           1,507            -- 
  Long-term deferred contract revenue                   732         2,339 
  Long-term lease liabilities                         3,051         3,689 
  Net employee defined benefit liabilities            9,312         8,646 
Total non-current liabilities                        14,602        14,674 
 
Current liabilities 
  Trade and other payables                              832         2,068 
  Accrued expenses                                    8,382         8,067 
  Short-term deferred income                          1,292            -- 
  Short-term deferred contract revenue               86,310        83,706 
  Short-term lease liabilities                          846           852 
Total current liabilities                            97,662        94,693 
Total liabilities                                   112,264       109,367 
Total shareholders' equity and liabilities          139,208       154,251 
 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income/(Loss) (Unaudited)

(In CHF thousands, except for per-share data)

 
 
                          For the Three Months   For the Nine Months 
                          Ended September 30,     Ended September 30, 
                            2026        2025        2026       2025 
Revenue 
  Contract revenue            3,244         939      19,476      3,235 
Total revenue                 3,244         939      19,476      3,235 
 
Operating expenses 
  Research & 
   development 
   expenses                 (9,853)    (13,071)    (32,074)   (45,813) 
  General & 
   administrative 
   expenses                 (3,522)     (3,567)    (11,236)   (11,900) 
  Other operating 
   income/(expense), 
   net                          330          --         437         21 
  Restructuring 
   expenses, net                 --       (467)          --      (467) 
Total operating 
 expenses                  (13,045)    (17,105)    (42,873)   (58,159) 
Operating loss              (9,801)    (16,166)    (23,397)   (54,924) 
 
  Financial income              280         366         679      1,512 
  Financial expense            (59)        (46)       (185)      (149) 
  Exchange differences          830        (12)       1,225    (2,513) 
Finance result, net           1,051         308       1,719    (1,150) 
 
Loss before tax             (8,750)    (15,858)    (21,678)   (56,074) 
  Income tax expense             --          --          --         -- 
Loss for the period         (8,750)    (15,858)    (21,678)   (56,074) 
  Loss per share: 
  Basic and diluted 
   loss per share for 
   the period 
   attributable to 
   equity holders            (0.13)      (0.16)      (0.21)     (0.56) 
 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss) (Unaudited)

(In CHF thousands)

 
 
                          For the Three Months   For the Nine Months 
                          Ended September 30,     Ended September 30, 
                            2026        2025        2026       2025 
Loss for the period         (8,750)    (15,858)    (21,678)   (56,074) 
Items that will be 
reclassified to income 
or loss in subsequent 
periods (net of tax): 
Currency translation 
 differences:                  (14)         (1)        (12)          8 
Items that will not to 
be reclassified to 
income or loss in 
subsequent periods 
(net of tax): 
  Remeasurement gains 
   on defined-benefit 
   plans (net of tax)            --       2,741          --      2,741 
Other comprehensive 
 income/(loss)                 (14)       2,740        (12)      2,749 
Total comprehensive 
 loss, net of tax           (8,764)    (13,118)    (21,690)   (53,325) 
 

Attachment

   -- 20261104__ACIU Q3 2026 Earnings update - Final 

At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Comments

We need your insight to fill this gap
Leave a comment