Creative Medical Technology Holdings Inc.'s Immcelz (CELZ-101) has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA. Immcelz is aimed at preventing allograft rejection in patients undergoing pancreatic islet cell transplantation.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded a 3-year grant totaling approximately $4.1 million to the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital to fund completion of preclinical studies, manufacturing and preparation of an IND application for a first-in-human trial to advance adeno-associated virus (AAV)-ATP7A gene therapy for the treatment of Menkes disease.

Long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation disorders (lcFAOD) are a group of inherited metabolic diseases, characterized by the accumulation of disease-specific acyl-CoAs reflecting the enzyme deficiency. The exact consequence of accumulating lcFAO-intermediates and their influence on cellular lipid homeostasis in patients with these diseases is unknown.

An Italian group of researchers has used zinc finger editing to silence the PCSK9 gene and improve blood cholesterol levels in mice by applying a single dose of their modifier. The epigenetic-based method could be an alternative to genome editing.

Max Biopharma Inc. and Metaba LLC are collaborating to study the effects of oxysterol drug candidates that target metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and atherosclerosis on metabolic processes.

Transthera Sciences (Nanjing) Inc. has announced the initiation of IND-enabling studies for TT-02332, a potent, selective and highly CNS-penetrating NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor.