Have you heard of Roche’s Brainshuttle technology and why it’s the first of its kind in Alzheimer’s disease treatments?
You may have heard of trontinemab, an experimental Alzheimer’s disease treatment nicknamed “the jab” for its administration via IV - but have you heard what makes this treatment unique?
Trontinemab is a monoclonal antibody currently in Phase III clinical trials, designed to remove amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and is associated with memory loss and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
What sets trontinemab apart from approved antibody treatments currently available, like Leqembi and donanemab, is not the target, but rather its delivery. The brain is protected by the blood–brain barrier, which blocks many medications from reaching brain tissue. Roche’s newly developed Brainshuttle technology is engineered to help trontinemab cross this barrier more efficiently and smoothly, allowing a greater amount of the drug to reach its intended site of action to slow disease progression.
In 2025, Roche reported early-phase results showing rapid amyloid reduction in people with early Alzheimer’s disease, with 9 out of 10 participants achieving near-complete amyloid clearance within seven months of treatment. These findings led to the launch of the Phase III TRONTIER 1 and TRONTIER 2 trials in late 2025 to evaluate whether trontinemab can slow cognitive decline and memory loss in individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease.
Important note:
👉 Trontinemab is not yet approved and is not available to the public.
👉 Phase III trial results are still being collected, with completion expected around 2028.
While not yet characterized as a definitive breakthrough, these results represent meaningful progress toward a potential viable treatment option. They also serve as an important reminder that steady, collective research efforts are what ultimately drive meaningful advances for all as we work to see a world free of dementia.
Reference Article Link: https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2025-07-28
