Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc. and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. have entered into an exclusive global license agreement for CSPC’s SYH-2086, a preclinical oral small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and orforglipron derivative. The agreement supports Madrigal’s pipeline strategy to develop combination treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Cryofocus Medtech (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation on July 24 for its cryoablation system for asthma. The Chinese med-tech’s stock (HKEX:6922) rose near 20% over two consecutive days on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with the news, increasing from HK$5.00 ($.64) July 23 to HK$5.98 nearing the close of trading on July 25.
A hallmark of liver fibrosis is the differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into myofibroblast-like cells, which are responsible for excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Among the key mediators of HSC activation, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) is considered the most potent pro-fibrotic cytokine.
Abivax SA is positioning to change the treatment landscape in ulcerative colitis after delivering positive results and a favorable safety profile in two phase III trials of its orally available miRNA-124 enhancer, obefazimod. Abivax stock rocketed in Europe and the U.S. on news of the data. Shares (Paris:ABVX) rose €45.40, or 510%, to close at €54.30 July 23. In the U.S., shares (NASDAQ:ABVX) leapt 586%, or $58.60, to close at $68.60.
As Wall Street awaits key phase III data from Abivax SA with microRNA-124 (miR-124)-targeting obefazimod in ulcerative colitis, due this quarter, the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) space – which also takes in Crohn’s disease – continues to grow and shift with new findings across varied fronts.
A recent publication in Science Advances has uncovered NMNAT1 as a promising therapeutic target for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Early ALD can be reversible, but prolonged alcohol abuse may lead to progressive steatohepatitis, fibrosis and even cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma.
Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) has been noted to impact liver disease and promote liver inflammation. Researchers from Southern Medical University screened a natural product molecular library and found that ellipticine exerted moderate TLR3 inhibitory effects, with an IC50 value of 5.66 µM.
Researchers from IMEC, the Netherlands’ OnePlanet Research Center in Wageningen, filed for protection of an inexpensive, highly miniaturized ingestible device that may be used for remotely activatable sampling, gut health monitoring and drug delivery.
Torrent Pharmaceutical Ltd. will buy J. B. Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (JB Pharma) from private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc. at an equity valuation of ₹256.89 billion (US$3 billion), which will then merge into one entity under Torrent Pharma.
Top-line results from Altimmune Inc.’s phase IIb Impact study of pemvidutide in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis showed the peptide-based GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist hit one primary endpoint while not hitting statistical significance in another.