SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. | July 9, 2026
Denali Therapeutics has announced that co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ryan Watts, Ph.D., will deliver the opening plenary address at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026, taking place in London from July 12–15, 2026. The presentation, titled “Accelerating the Discovery and Development of Medicines for Neurodegeneration,” will showcase the latest scientific advances in Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) delivery technologies while highlighting Denali’s proprietary TransportVehicle™ platform, which is designed to enable biologic medicines to efficiently cross the BBB. The company will also discuss progress across its expanding pipeline of investigational therapies, including DNL628 (OTV) targeting tau and DNL921 (ATV) targeting amyloid beta, reinforcing its leadership in developing next-generation therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. The announcement follows Denali’s recent achievement of securing the first FDA-approved biologic specifically engineered to cross the blood-brain barrier, positioning the company at the forefront of neurological drug delivery innovation. As neurodegenerative disorders continue to represent one of the greatest unmet medical challenges worldwide, Denali’s platform has the potential to reshape treatment strategies by improving brain delivery of biologic medicines that traditionally struggle to penetrate the central nervous system.
TransportVehicle™ Platform Advances Blood-Brain Barrier Drug Delivery
A major focus of Denali’s presentation will be its proprietary TransportVehicle™ (TV) platform, an innovative technology engineered to transport antibodies, enzymes, and oligonucleotides across the blood-brain barrier through receptor-mediated transcytosis. By leveraging the body’s natural transferrin receptor transport pathway, the platform enables intravenous biologic therapies to achieve significantly greater exposure throughout the brain than conventional approaches.
The technology has already achieved an important regulatory milestone with AVLAYAH™ (tividenofusp alfa-eknm), which became the first FDA-approved biologic specifically designed to cross the blood-brain barrier for treating neurological manifestations of Hunter syndrome. Denali believes overcoming the delivery limitations imposed by the BBB can unlock the therapeutic potential of biologics for numerous neurological disorders, creating opportunities to improve efficacy while expanding treatment options for diseases that have historically lacked effective therapies.
Pipeline Targets Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration
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Denali continues advancing a broad portfolio of investigational therapeutics designed to address the two hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease. DNL628, enabled by the Oligonucleotide TransportVehicle™ (OTV) platform, is designed to suppress the MAPT gene, reducing production of tau protein, a key driver of cognitive decline. The company initiated dosing in its Phase 1b clinical study during 2026, with initial clinical safety and biomarker proof-of-concept data expected in 2027.
Meanwhile, DNL921, powered by the Antibody TransportVehicle™ (ATV) platform, targets amyloid beta plaques, aiming to improve brain distribution while potentially reducing the risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) observed with first-generation anti-amyloid therapies. Denali has submitted a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for DNL921 and expects to initiate a Phase 1/1b clinical trial, pending regulatory clearance. Together, these investigational programs demonstrate the versatility of the TransportVehicle™ platform across multiple therapeutic modalities for neurodegenerative disease.
Scientific Innovation Positions Denali at the Forefront of CNS Therapeutics
The upcoming AAIC 2026 plenary provides an important opportunity for Denali Therapeutics to present its vision for the future of precision neuroscience and blood-brain barrier-targeted therapeutics. By integrating advances in biomarker science, disease biology, and targeted biologic delivery, the company aims to accelerate development of therapies capable of addressing diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, lysosomal storage disorders, and other severe neurological conditions.
Denali’s expanding clinical pipeline, combined with its clinically validated TransportVehicle™ technology, demonstrates a long-term commitment to transforming neurological medicine through innovative drug delivery solutions. As global research increasingly focuses on overcoming barriers to central nervous system treatment, Denali continues strengthening its position as a leader in biotechnology, neurodegenerative disease research, and next-generation biologic therapeutics, offering new hope for patients living with devastating brain disorders.
Source: Denali Therapeutics press release
