Dupuytren’s disease is often referred to as “the most common crippling hand condition that people have never heard of,” but Kurt Harrington is on a mission to change that. A seasoned biotech and pharma consultant, Harrington has had the condition himself for over a decade and, acutely aware of the lack of available treatment options, has founded Ventoux Biosciences Inc. to bring additional therapies forward.

Alentis Therapeutics SA has closed a $105 million series C round which will fund simultaneous phase II and phase Ib trials of anti-Claudin-1 antibodies in the treatment of organ fibrosis and phase I development in fibrosis-associated cancers. At the same time, the company will extend the reach of its Claudin-1 biology into antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific constructs, to further exploit the role of the transmembrane protein in maintaining cellular integrity and controlling cell-to-cell signaling.

The common pathological pathway in progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) is tissue fibrosis and chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) plays a key role in the development of fibrosis.

Echosens SA obtained clearance from the U.S. FDA to expand the indications for screening with its Fibroscan system. The approval removes contraindications for pregnancy and active implant and includes patients with confirmed or suspected liver disease. It designates Fibroscan as a noninvasive aid for clinical management, diagnosis and monitoring of adult and pediatric patients with liver diseases. The age has been removed as the first selection probe and exam-type step.

Researchers from Atyr Pharma Inc. presented findings from the innovative tRNA synthetase platform, highlighting ATYR-0101, a potential therapeutic biologic based on a domain appended to aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (DARS).

Mediar Therapeutics Inc. emerged from stealth, unveiling $105 million in investment and bold ambitions to develop new ways of tackling fibrosis. Cambridge, Mass.-based Mediar is challenging what CEO Rahul Ballal called “the fundamental dogma” of fibrosis therapy: “You have to address fibrosis at its initiation, when inflammation is rampant.” Mediar, in contrast, is focused on developing therapies that either disrupt or reverse the fibrotic process, particularly when it progresses from a moderate to a severe state.

While it is known that differentiated myofibroblasts produce excessive collagens, which accumulate in tissues and cause hardening, the mechanisms involved in these processes are largely unknown. In a recent study, Kyushu University scientists aimed to assess the molecular mechanisms by which matrix stiffness increases fibrosis-related gene expression in myofibroblasts.

Scientists at the University of Sydney have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body. Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15) is an inbuilt receptor that binds the SARS-CoV-2 virus without passing on the infection. The discovery opens a new area of immunology research around LRRC15 and suggests a pathway to develop new drugs to prevent viral infection from coronaviruses like COVID-19, but also to deal with fibrosis in the lungs.

Certa Therapeutics Pty Ltd. is progressing antifibrotic agent FT-011 to phase III trials following positive results in a phase II trial that showed clinically meaningful improvements for more than 60% of patients with scleroderma in 12 weeks. FT-011 targets a previously undrugged G protein-coupled receptor, and these early efficacy outcomes in scleroderma suggest potential for FT-011 to treat other indications in Certa’s pipeline, including diabetic retinopathy and other forms of chronic kidney disease.