PRESS RELEASE
AB SCIENCE IS INVITED TO PRESENT AT THE 2026 ENCALS ANNUAL MEETING THE SURVIVAL DATA FROM MASITINIB CLINICAL PROGRAM IN AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS
- Masitinib treatment has been linked to a 5-year survival rate of 42.3% from the onset of the disease, marking a two-fold increase compared to historical standards.
- In patients with ALS who had not experienced a complete loss of functionality, the 5-year survival rate from disease onset rose to 52.9%, underscoring the significance of early intervention.
- Among those who survived long-term, reaching the 5-year survival point from the start of symptoms, 49% continued to enjoy a satisfactory quality of life without requiring mechanical support, such as ventilation, gastrostomy, tracheostomy, or reliance on a wheelchair.
Paris, June 9, 2026, 6.45pm CET
AB Science SA (Euronext - FR0010557264 - AB) today announced that new analyses from its phase 3 trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (AB10015) have been accepted for poster presentation at the ENCALS annual meeting (June 24-26, 2026, Madrid, Spain). ENCALS is the European network to cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with abstracts selected by the Scientific Program Committee based on their scientific quality.
Professor Albert Ludolph, MD, PhD, commented, “In study AB10015, the examination of long-term survivors seems to indicate a clinically relevant survival benefit for ALS patients receiving masitinib, when compared to historical standards. Notably, half of these long-term survivors preserved a high quality of life, highlighting that prolonged survival does not necessarily compromise functional independence. Additional confirmatory evidence is required to verify these encouraging results.”
- Professor Albert Ludolph, MD, PhD, (Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Ulm), will deliver a poster presentation entitled ‘Five-Year Survival of 42% in ALS Patients Treated with Masitinib: Long-Term Outcomes From AB10015 Trial’ on June 25th as part of the ENCALS Research Forum – Poster Session (Abstract Ref: #401).
The key messages of this presentation are as follows:
Masitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated meaningful long-term survival benefits in patients with ALS when combined with riluzole, according to the long-term outcome data from the phase 2b/3 AB10015 trial. The analysis of patients receiving masitinib at 4.5 mg/kg/day revealed a five-year survival rate of 42.3% from symptom onset, significantly exceeding the published registry benchmarks. Notably, 49% of long-term survivors maintained a satisfactory quality of life without mechanical assistance (i.e., without permanent ventilation, gastrostomy, tracheostomy, or wheelchair dependence).
The survival benefit was even more pronounced in enriched patient populations.
- A 50% five-year survival rate in patients with slower disease progression (ALSFRS-R progression rate ΔFS < 1.1 points/month) at baseline, the primary efficacy population of study AB10015
- A 53% five-year survival rate in patients with baseline ΔFS < 1.1 points/month and no complete loss of functionality at baseline (i.e., a score ≥1 on all ALSFRS-R items)
Masitinib's five-year survival rates substantially exceed registry-based benchmarks ranging from 7% to 27.8% (weighted average ~24%), and compare favorably against large retrospective analyses of riluzole-treated and untreated cohorts (~24% and ~15-17% from diagnosis, respectively).
These findings underscore the potential of masitinib to improve outcomes in patients with ALS while preserving functional independence and quality of life. The greatest survival benefit is associated with early treatment initiation (i.e., prior to severe functional impairment). A recently identified biomarker detecting masitinib's effect on pathological pro-inflammatory microglia may help identify responsive patients [1].
References
[1] AB Science press release 24/02/2026 – https://www.ab-science.com/category/news/2026/
About AB Science
Founded in 2001, AB Science is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development, and commercialization of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs), a class of targeted proteins whose action is key in signalling pathways within cells. Our programs target only diseases with high unmet medical needs, which are often lethal with short-term survival or rare or refractory to previous lines of treatment.
AB Science has developed a proprietary portfolio of molecules, and the Company’s lead compound, masitinib, has already been registered for veterinary medicine and is being developed for human medicine. The company is headquartered in Paris, France and is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: AB).
Further information is available on AB Science’s website: www.ab-science.com.
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