Coya Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA) announced the publication of a study that found correlations between certain blood biomarkers and survival rates in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The research, led by Dr. David Beers and Dr. Stanley Appel at Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, examined 100 randomly selected ALS patients and 100 healthy controls. The study measured serum biomarkers including 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) over time between January 2018 and December 2022.

The study found that all three biomarkers were elevated in ALS patients compared to healthy controls. Levels of 4-HNE, LBP, and NfL at diagnosis were significantly correlated with length of survival, with p-values of less than 0.001 for 4-HNE and LBP, and 0.001 for NfL. The biomarkers 4-HNE and LBP also showed significant correlation with disease progression rates as measured by the ALSFRS-R assessment tool.

The company stated the findings support the rationale for its experimental treatment COYA 302, which combines low-dose interleukin-2 and CTLA-4 Ig. In a previously reported academic study of four ALS patients treated with these components, the biomarkers associated with survival were reduced from baseline levels.

"These findings demonstrate significant correlations between biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and axonal injury and survival in patients with ALS," said Dr. Fred Grossman, President and Chief Medical Officer of Coya.

The study was published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. Coya is currently conducting the ALSTARS Trial, a Phase 2 study evaluating COYA 302 for ALS treatment, which includes NfL measurement as a secondary endpoint.