CervoMed reports early NfL drop in Phase 2a nfvPPA trial of neflamapimod

CervoMed Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVO) announced on October 12, 2026 that it had observed a reduction in mean plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels during the first 12 weeks of treatment with neflamapimod in the open-label portion of its Phase 2a trial in nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA). The data came from the open-label portion of the trial and were described as showing a reduction in mean plasma NfL, a biomarker of neuronal damage, over the first 12 weeks of dosing.¹ The findings were presented in a late-breaking oral session at the International Society of Frontotemporal Dementias Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.¹

At baseline, the company said 72% of the 25 participants (18 of 25) showed elevated NfL levels relative to the general population, while 16% (4 of 25) had elevated levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).¹ Mean baseline NfL across all participants was 45.7 pg/mL (SD 39.6), and mean baseline GFAP was 103.4 pg/mL (SD 43.2).¹ Over the first 12 weeks, mean NfL change was approximately 3.1 pg/mL, with most of the decline occurring between weeks six and 12.¹ Among participants with baseline NfL at or above the median, the mean 12-week decline was about 5.7 pg/mL.¹ GFAP levels remained stable over the same period.¹

Neflamapimod was generally well tolerated and no new safety signals emerged, though one patient with elevated liver enzymes met protocol-defined discontinuation criteria; that patient was asymptomatic, had no bilirubin elevation, and the abnormality resolved after stopping treatment.¹

The 36-week study has enrolled 25 participants across sites in the U.S. and U.K., combining 24 weeks of open-label dosing at either 40 mg three times a day (19 patients) or 80 mg twice daily (6 patients), followed by a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal phase.¹ CervoMed said it plans to present 24-week biomarker results at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in November 2026, with topline clinical data expected in the first quarter of 2027, according to CEO John Alam.