Etern Biopharma (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. has identified proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase binding moiety coupled to an androgen receptor targeting moiety through a linker acting as androgen receptor degradation inducers reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Aussie radiopharma company Advancell Co. Ltd. closed an oversubscribed $112 million series C round that will accelerate clinical development of its pipeline of radionuclide therapies and allow it to expand its manufacturing capacity.
Vir Biotechnology Inc.’s 2024 deal with Sanofi SA is starting to look like a pretty savvy move. The company, which picked up three clinical-stage dual-masked T-cell engagers (TCEs) and rights to the platform technology as part of a pipeline overhaul, reported phase I data for TCE programs targeting HER2 and PSMA that indicated promising efficacy with a low prevalence of the cytokine toxicity that has hampered other TCE programs.
Prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) is commonly used as a screening tool for prostate cancer but presents limited sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, research efforts are focused on searching for novel noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers.
Researchers from Arvinas Inc. reported the preclinical characterization of bavdegalutamide (ARV-110), an androgen receptor (AR)-directed proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) designed to selectively degrade wild-type AR and the majority of clinically relevant mutants of AR.
Haihe Biopharma Co. Ltd. has disclosed benzo(hetero)cycloalkyl compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of acne, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, and more.
Edap TMS SA recently published data showing that its Focal One high intensity focused ultrasound technology is non-inferior to radical prostatectomy as a first-line treatment for localized prostate cancer. The company is also working towards gaining approval for the technology as a therapy for endometriosis.
Candel Therapeutics Inc. followed this spring’s positive phase II data in pancreatic cancer with favorable results from a phase III study testing the same drug – viral immunotherapy CAN-2409 – in localized prostate cancer. Shares of Needham, Mass.-based Candel (NASDAQ:CADL) closed Dec. 11 at $7.75, up $3.14, or 68%.
Researchers from AUTOTAC Bio Inc. and affiliated organizations presented preclinical data for ATC-324, a novel autophagy-targeting chimera (AUTOTAC) designed to induce androgen receptor (AR) degradation.
Janux Therapeutics Inc. CEO David Campbell said the firm will be talking with the U.S. FDA about “what we may or may not be able to do [in order to get JANX-007] to patients more rapidly,” though he noted that the agency has “primarily been focused on overall survival” in considering prostate cancer drugs, so more work on that endpoint may be required. “We’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
