BUZZ — Arrowhead climbs on early Alzheimer's drug trial data

* Shares of drugmaker Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals rise 6.7% to $62 premarket * Co says its experimental Alzheimer's drug, ARO-MAPT, cut levels of disease-linked tau protein in spinal fluid by an average of 73% in healthy volunteers, with maximum reductions of 85%, in an early-to-mid-stage trial * Abnormal buildups of tau protein are considered a key driver of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative brain disorders * Protein reductions lasted for at least three months after the final dose, supporting the potential for quarterly dosing, co says * Co is now testing the drug in early Alzheimer's patients, with data updates expected in 2027 * As of last close, stock down ~12% YTD (Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru) ((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;)