As amyotrophic lateral sclerosis continues to make headlines, candidates bearing varied approaches proliferate and the indication likely allows for multiple players, given the prospect of a combo regimen.

Shionogi & Co. Ltd. started a phase I trial in Japan for S-217622, its orally administered 3CL protease inhibitor for treating COVID-19. Should the drug be approved by Japanese regulators, it would be the first Japanese-developed COVID-19 treatment to be approved in the country.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Abeona, Acticor, Adverum, Aurion, Denali, F-star, Immunicum, Innovent, Kyowa Kirin, Mediwound, NGM, Synlogic.

Alzamend Neuro Inc.’s positive preclinical data for AL-002 sent the company’s stock (NADAQ:ALZN) more than 70% higher before the market opened July 23. The Tampa, Fla.-based biopharma is researching a mutant-peptide sensitized cell for treating Alzheimer’s disease. The positive data came from a GLP toxicology study using a transgenic mouse model.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Acadia, Antengene, Biosplice, GBT, Hemoshear, Heron, Ocuphire, Plus, Spark.

Differences between Seres Therapeutics Inc.’s next-generation microbiome therapy and SER-287 were highlighted in the wake of the phase IIb failure with the latter in the study called Eco-Reset, which missed its primary endpoint of improving clinical remission rates in ulcerative colitis (UC) compared to placebo.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Aprea, Biomarin, Dicerna, Eureka, Immunomolecular, Lumos, Scilex, Sorrento, Takeda.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Annovis, Anthos, Biomarin, Bonus, Ionctura, Lineage Cell, Mediwound, Merck, Ose, Rain, Sesen, SK Life, Wave.

New preclinical data from Immunome Inc. gets the company closer to the clinic for studying its three-antibody cocktail’s effect on SARS-CoV-2. “We will file an IND this quarter and get into the clinic,” Immunome’s CEO, Purnanand Sarma, told BioWorld. “Since the number of cases is rising, unfortunately, we think a clinical study could be conducted reasonably quickly.”