AmyTrap

AmyTrap is a synthetic retro-inverso peptide therapeutic designed to treat Alzheimer’s disease by selectively binding and sequestering amyloid‑β (Aβ), particularly Aβ42, thereby preventing its aggregation, promoting disaggregation of existing aggregates, and reducing Aβ‑mediated neurotoxicity. The active pharmaceutical ingredient is a tetrameric D‑amino acid peptide (sequence WKGEWTGR) configured as a retro‑inverso construct that recognizes the GXXXG motif in Aβ, a region critical for its self‑aggregation and toxicity, and has been shown in vitro and in animal models to bind both soluble and insoluble Aβ, lower brain plaque burden, and improve cognitive function.[1][2][3][4][5][7][8] Preclinical studies demonstrate that intracellular AmyTrap can attenuate Aβ‑induced mitochondrial dysfunction and partially normalize metabolic enzymes and tau phosphorylation in neuronal cell models, and the same peptide is also being developed in pegylated, device‑bound forms (e.g., Amytrapper matrices and catheters) for extracorporeal removal of circulating Aβ as a potential disease‑modifying strategy in Alzheimer’s disease.[1][3]