In what may be a first of its kind in Alzheimer’s disease, a pilot human study is yielding signals that a peptide derived from chicken egg-shell membranes may have therapeutic effects. The investigational peptide, called ESM-101, is being tested in individuals with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Though very early, the findings suggest it may reduce key biomarkers of disease and help with certain cognitive functions.

The study enrolled 40 participants aged 60-75 with mild Alzheimer’s confirmed by imaging and cerebrospinal fluid measures. Treatment lasted 16 weeks, with ESM-101 given orally once daily. Control subjects received placebo. Key endpoints included changes in CSF amyloid beta and tau, memory-based cognitive scores, safety and tolerability.

Biomarkers and Cognitive Signals

By the end of the treatment period, participants on ESM-101 showed an average 25% reduction in CSF amyloid beta-42 compared with baseline. Tau protein levels, which are associated with neuronal injury, also declined by about 18% in treated subjects, while placebo subjects had minimal change.

Memory tests revealed modest improvement. On a word recall test, treated participants had an average increase of 1.8 words over baseline compared with approximately 0.5 words in placebo. Participants also reported subjective improvements in daily forgetting and recall, though the placebo group had minor placebo-effects as well.

Safety, Tolerability, and Future Directions

ESM-101 was generally well tolerated. Most adverse events were mild, the most common being gastrointestinal upset and mild headache. There were no serious adverse events, and no evidence of liver or kidney toxicity.

The company sponsoring ESM-101 plans a larger Phase 2 trial to begin in early 2026. That study will last 48 weeks and include a broader population (people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s) and more diverse cognitive and functional endpoints, including daily living tasks. There is interest in seeing whether longer treatment duration can translate biomarker changes into more substantial cognitive or functional improvements.

These early results are intriguing, especially given the oral route of administration and the novel source of the therapeutic peptide. While many Alzheimer’s therapies focus on antibodies or injectables, a small molecule or peptide taken orally could have advantages in accessibility, cost and patient convenience. If these early signals hold up in larger trials, ESM-101 may join a growing list of disease-modifying medicines that aim to slow rather than just treat symptoms.