Drug development company T3D Therapeutics said on Monday that it expects USD9m in grants to help fund the Phase 2 clinical study of T3D-959 for treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD) .

The company said it was awarded the grant, which will spread over four years, by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of NIH and under award number R01AG061122.

Under the Phase 2 PIONEER study (Prospective therapy to Inhibit and Overcome Alzheimer's Disease Neurodegeneration via Brain EnErgetics and Metabolism Restoration), the company plans to initiate patient dosing in early 2020. The partnership will support this new approach and excellent science of the T3D-959 programme.

According to the company, PIONEER is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group Phase 2 safety and efficacy study expected to enroll up to 252 adults with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (MMSE 16-26). PIONEER will enrol subjects who will receive one of three different doses of T3D-959 or a placebo for 24 weeks.

T3D-959 is a small molecule, orally-delivered, brain-penetrating PPAR delta/gamma dual nuclear receptor agonist designed to improve glucose and lipid metabolism dysfunctions present in AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.