Summit Therapeutics Inc. has identified proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase binding moiety coupled to a GTPase KRAS (G12D) targeting moiety through a linker acting as KRAS (G12D) inhibitors and degradation inducers reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
A metabolic vulnerability of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) could be used to address this type of cancer that often resists treatments. Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered that inhibiting the PIKfyve enzyme prevented tumor development and reduced tumor growth by altering the lipid synthesis these cells rely on. The KRAS-MAPK pathway is involved in this process, leading the researchers to suggest that dual inhibitors of PIKfyve and KRAS-MAPK could be an effective therapeutic strategy.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in many diseases, yet raising therapeutic antibodies against them is notoriously difficult because the transmembrane receptors contain only short extracellular regions that can function as antigens. As a result, only two therapeutic antibodies against GPCRs have ever been licensed for the clinic.
Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has obtained clinical trial clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for HS-10529 tablets.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinom a (PDAC), frequently detected at advanced stages, has a 5-year survival rate of 12%. Metastases are common, including hepatic metastasis, which is particularly lethal due to the liver’s immune-tolerant environment and rich blood supply that facilitate tumor growth.
Newave Pharmaceutical LLC has disclosed GTPase KRAS (mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease and inflammatory disorders.
It was a mixed day for Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., which disclosed separately on March 28 both the termination of a $336 million licensing deal with CS Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and upbeat plans to unveil three new oncology assets at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research in April.
Anocca AB has secured the first regulatory authorization in Europe for a CRISPR-Cas gene-edited T-cell receptor T-cell therapy trial, with the phase I/II study now due to start over the next three months at sites in Sweden, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
French biotech Pep-Therapy SAS is in the midst of raising a €20 million (US$21.62 million) round and, at the same time, prospecting for potential partners after winning FDA orphan drug designation for its bifunctional peptide Pep-010 in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pep-010 currently is moving to the conclusion of a phase Ib trial and the new money will fund phase II development.
Silexion Therapeutics Corp. has announced an expanded development plan for its next-generation siRNA candidate SIL-204. The new dual-route strategy will integrate intratumoral and systemic administration to target both primary tumors and metastases, respectively, to treat KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer.
