Nuravax and IMM dose first participants in Phase 1 tau vaccine study
Published in Brain/Neurology, Drugs development & discovery, Immunology.
October 7, 2026 — The Institute for Molecular Medicine and Nuravax announced that the first four participants have received AV-1980R in TAURUS-1980, a Phase 1 study of an investigational vaccine targeting tau.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial plans to enroll up to 48 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 65–80 with biomarker evidence of brain amyloid pathology. Three ascending-dose cohorts will receive vaccine or placebo in a 3:1 allocation, with follow-up through Week 58.
AV-1980R uses the MultiTEP recombinant-protein platform to induce immune responses supporting antibodies against a tau epitope. The primary objective is safety and tolerability; secondary objectives examine antibody and T-cell responses. Imaging, blood biomarkers and cognitive measures are exploratory.
This is a first-dosing milestone, not evidence that vaccination prevents dementia or slows Alzheimer’s disease. Safety and efficacy remain unestablished, and the product has no regulatory approval. Larger subsequent studies would be needed to evaluate preventive clinical benefit.
Source: IMM and Nuravax announcement, October 7, 2026. Trial identifier: NCT07158905.