Arrowhead’s experimental RNAi drug ARO-MAPT cuts tau protein by 73% in early human trial

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals said its experimental RNA interference therapy, ARO-MAPT, lowered the Alzheimer’s‑linked tau protein in a first‑in‑human study of healthy volunteers.

The early‑stage trial gave participants two subcutaneous injections two weeks apart. At the highest dose, tau levels fell an average of 73% after 105 days, suggesting the drug could be administered once every three months.

These findings provide clinical validation for Arrowhead’s platform that delivers RNAi drugs beyond the liver and across the blood‑brain barrier, opening the possibility of treating central nervous system diseases with similar approaches.