“The impoverished laboratory environment in which mice and rats are maintained has been very good at increasing experimental replicability,” Steven Austad told the audience at the 12th Aging Research & Drug Discovery Meeting (ARDD) in Copenhagen last week. “But at the cost of sacrificing translational relevance.”

The TCF4/β-catenin axis is a key driver of tumor growth, where β-catenin has remained resistant to therapy and is traditionally considered an undruggable protein. At the ACS Fall 2025 meeting, Parabilis Medicines Inc. divulged results of work on hyperstabilized α-helical peptides named helicons that directly bind to β-catenin and block its interaction with TCF transcription factors such as TCF4, as well as inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway.

The WEE1 tyrosine kinase is an important cell cycle regulator that inhibits cell cycle progression during the S and G2/M phases to impede the division of cells with DNA damage. Tumor cells with replicative stress are thought to rely on WEE1 for their survival.

Moma Therapeutics Inc. has released data regarding their Werner syndrome helicase (WRN) inhibitor MOMA-341 for the potential treatment of cancer. MOMA-341 is a potent and selective WRN inhibitor, the action of which is through covalent ligation.

Tyra Biosciences Inc. recently presented the design and preclinical characterization of TYRA-200, an oral small-molecule FGFR1/2/3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that shows high potency against all common mutant forms of FGFR2 and holds potential for the treatment of cancers driven by FGFR2 alterations.

Gilead Sciences Inc. recently discussed the discovery of emvistegrast (GS-1427), a potent, selective, once-daily oral α4β7 integrin inhibitor currently in phase II trials for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (NCT06290934).

BMS-986470 is a potentially first-in-class molecular glue dual degrader, targeting zinc finger and BTB domain containing 7A (ZBTB7A) and widely interspaced zinc finger protein (WIZ). Bristol Myers Squibb Inc. recently presented details on the discovery of BMS-986470, which is now in phase I studies for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) (NCT06481306).

Pfizer Inc. provided details on the discovery and in vitro/in vivo characteristics of SIK inhibitor PF-07899895 for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Pfizer’s program focused on pan-SIK inhibition to regulate cytokine production in immune cells based on the hypothesis that this approach could suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and promote an anti-inflammatory phenotype.