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.
Arnatar Therapeutics Inc.’s ART-4, an upregulating antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alagille syndrome (ALGS), has been awarded U.S. orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations by the FDA. Approximately 95% of ALGS cases are caused by haploinsufficient mutations in the Jagged-1 (JAG1) gene, leading to insufficient JAG1 protein levels and impaired liver bile duct development.
Apex Biosciences Pte Ltd. has identified phosphodiesterase PDE4B inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, neurological disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, skin inflammation, lung inflammation, eye inflammation and inflammatory joint diseases.
Shattuck Labs Inc. has reported that its IND from the U.S. FDA for SL-325 for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is now in effect. The company expects to commence a phase I trial in healthy volunteers in the third quarter of this year.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has divulged polypeptides acting as gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of nausea and vomiting.
Equillium Inc. has entered into a definitive securities purchase agreement with health care investors that will provide up to $50 million in gross proceeds to Equillium. The private placement will enable the company to advance its selective aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) modulator EQ-504 into the clinic.
A research team from Pusan National University has developed a novel deep learning model coined Moglo-Net, designed to enable three-dimensional reconstruction of images from hand-held ultrasound procedures.
Hefei Institutes of Physical Science Chinese Academy of Sciences has synthesized phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
The fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analogue space took another turn as Novo Nordisk A/S said during its second-quarter financial update that work with zalfermin (NNC0194-0499) will be discontinued. A phase II study testing the compound in combination with glucagon-like peptide-1 therapy failed to hit the primary endpoint related to liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), without MASH worsening.
Scandiedge Therapeutics AB has divulged pyruvate kinase PKLR inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.