In the inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis, CD4+ T lymphocytes accumulate lipid droplets that make them vulnerable and promote their death, thereby amplifying joint inflammation. A study led by scientists at Mayo Clinic and Stanford University suggests that blocking the formation of these lipid droplets or their contents could offer a therapeutic strategy for this condition.
Deeplake Pharmaceuticals (Shandong) Co. Ltd. has patented oxazolo- or thiazolo-indole compounds acting as xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase (XDH; XOR) and/or solute carrier family 22 member 12 (SLC22A12; URAT1) dual inhibitors. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia.
Though it’s largely viewed by analysts as a simple delay rather than a setback, Disc Medicine Inc.’s unexpected complete response letter (CRL) for bitopertin in the rare genetic disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) raises more questions regarding consistency and stability at the U.S. FDA.
The variety of organoids that can be developed in vitro is enabling major advances. Depending on the type of tissues and the research goals, these small 3D cell-based structures that mimic real tissue offer certain advantages over animal models. Scientists at the University of Padova in Italy have created human neuromuscular organoids to reproduce cancer-induced muscle cachexia, a condition that murine models do not accurately replicate.
Nanjing Anji Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has patented micropeptides regulating cholesterol metabolism and thus reported to be useful for the treatment of obesity, atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, liver fibrosis, liver cancer and coronary heart disease, among others.
Hunter syndrome, also called mucopolysaccharidosis II, is an X-linked genetic lysosomal disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the IDS gene, encoding iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S). I2S is a lysosomal enzyme responsible for the cleavage of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and its deficiency results in accumulation of GAGs leading to a multisystemic disorder.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has obtained IND approval from the FDA for SYH-2082 injection, a GLP-1/GIP receptor dual-biased agonist polypeptide long-acting injection for weight management for individuals with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity.
After two decades of work with Translarna (ataluren) for nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy, PTC Therapeutics Inc. withdrew its bid for approval of the compound upon hearing from the U.S. FDA. Regulators told Warren, N.J.-based PTC that the data package for Translarna is “unlikely to meet the agency's threshold of substantial evidence of effectiveness.”
A circuit formed by tumor, immune and nervous systems triggers cancer cachexia and anorexia, the excessive loss of weight, muscle and fat experienced in some cancer types. A new study is the first showing these three actors of a triangle interaction that initiates and feeds the process.
Viking Therapeutics Inc. said after-market hours Feb. 11 that it plans to advance its oral dual GLP-1/GIP receptor, VK-2735, into a phase III trial for obesity in the third quarter of 2026. VK-2735 is a novel dual glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) receptor agonist.