AC Immune Rises on Plan to Cut 30% of Workforce, Extend Cash Runway
The clinical-stage biopharma company is sharpening its focus on late-stage neurodegenerative disease therapies, pushing its financial runway into late 2027.
AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, saw its shares climb after announcing a significant strategic restructuring. The plan includes a workforce reduction of approximately 30% to sharpen its focus on its most advanced clinical programs and extend its financial resources.
The company stated that these operational efficiencies are expected to push its cash runway through the end of the third quarter of 2027. that AC Immune's existing cash of CHF 127.1 million as of June 30, 2025, would be sufficient to fund operations for the next three years, not including any potential milestone payments from its existing partnerships.
Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune, commented on the decision, stating, “The actions we are taking now extend our cash runway to the end of Q3 2027... It has been a challenging and carefully considered decision.” She added that the company will now concentrate its resources on its Phase 2 active immunotherapies and other promising therapeutics targeting intracellular mechanisms of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Investors reacted positively to the news, which provides the company with greater financial stability as it approaches critical clinical milestones. , AC Immune confirmed that its guidance on clinical trial timelines remains unchanged. The company still expects to release interim data for its ACI-7104.056 program in the second half of 2025 and for its ACI-24.060 program in the first half of 2026.
The strategic shift involves prioritizing three clinical-stage active immunotherapy programs, two of which are in collaboration with major pharmaceutical partners, and its most promising small molecule programs targeting NLRP3 and Tau. The restructuring is expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2025, with the cost savings taking full effect in early 2026. AC Immune has initiated a consultation process with affected employees and will provide severance packages and support.