“Do dreams predict the future?” Abidemi Otaiku asked his audience at the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, currently being held in Helsinki. Most audience members, being hard-boiled scientists, did not believe they did. But Otaiku, whose work won the award for best clinical abstract at the conference, presented data indicating that in some cases, they can.

In a presentation at the American Chemical Society meeting, Halda Therapeutics Inc. described its androgen receptor (AR)-targeting RIPTAC (regulated induced proximity targeting chimera) therapeutics as a new class of heterofunctional small molecules designed to selectively kill cancer cells that express tumor-specific targeting protein (TIP) into a stable intracellular ternary complex with a protein essential for cell survival for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Both casein kinase 1α (CK1α) and zinc finger protein Helios (IKZF2) are among the targets most recently evaluated for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A growing number of molecules against these targets acting as degraders or inhibitors are actively being investigated.

Lantern Pharma Inc. has presented new data on their novel acylfulvene compound LP-184 as a DNA-damaging agent that induces DNA double-strand breaks (DNA DSBs) in cancer cells and may activate immune responses by activation of the cGAS/STING pathway.

AAT-076 was tested in the preclinical setting for its analgesic potential in COX-1 and COX-2 assays, as well as in in vivo rat models of air pouch inflammation, adjuvant-induced arthritis and neuropathic pain models. The compound was selected as a candidate analgesic compound due to its effective COX-2 inhibition within the central nervous system.

Researchers from Alzecure Pharma AB presented preclinical data for ACD-137, a negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), being developed for the treatment of pain.

Researchers from Contineum Therapeutics Inc. have presented preclinical data for the novel brain penetrant lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1) antagonist, PIPE-791, being evaluated in models of neuropathic pain.

Researchers from Indiana University have presented data from a study that aimed to assess the potential of suppressing GABA metabolism through inhibition of its degradation enzyme, GABA aminotransferase (GABA-AT), as novel analgesic strategy. The effect of next-generation GABA-AT inhibitor OV-329 was assessed in C57BL/6J mice that were intraperitoneally injected with paclitaxel to generate neuropathic nociception. Treatment with OV-329 attenuated the development and maintenance of paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity.

Researchers from Merck & Co Inc. have presented preclinical data for the novel Nav1.8 inhibitor MSD-199, being developed for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.