Despite a newly signed $645 million commercialization deal with Neuraxpharm Group for multiple sclerosis drug Briumvi (ublituximab) in Europe, shares of TG Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:TGTX) tanked by 49.3% on Aug. 1 due to a perceived miss in U.S. net sales for the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody during its first full quarter on the U.S. market.
Heteroaryl compounds acting as interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) inhibitors are described in a recent Accro Bioscience (HK) Ltd. patent. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of endometriosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, primary central nervous system and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Biohaven Ltd. is advancing development of its first-in-class bispecific IgG degrader, BHV-1300, which has potential to treat multiple immune-mediated diseases. The pan-IgG degrader has demonstrated a competitive safety, manufacturable and pharmacodynamic profile, and BHV-1300 dosage regimens are expected to allow co-administration with existing standards of care. An IND submission is planned for the second half of this year.
Evaxion Biotech A/S has presented promising results on EVX-B1, a vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus containing antigens identified using artificial intelligence. EVX-B1 induces strong immune responses, both cellular and humoral, that translate to a high level of protection in preclinical models for skin infection and sepsis.
Indazole compounds acting as microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitors have been described in a recent Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. patent as potentially useful for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, arthritis, bacterial infection, systemic lupus erythematosus, pancreatitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others.
Avoidance of graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant could depend on certain members of the microbiome. According to a study led by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC), while some species of intestinal bacteria repressed the expression of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II), others induced it and triggered the immune response that produces GVHD.
Recludix Pharma Inc. has entered into a strategic collaboration with Sanofi SA to develop and commercialize first-in-class oral small-molecule STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) inhibitors for patients with immunological and inflammatory diseases. STAT6 is believed to play a key role in multiple dermatological and respiratory diseases.
Dismissed as undruggable in the early 2000s, Src homology 2 domains are now viable and at the heart of Recludix Pharma Inc.’s new deal with Sanofi SA’s U.S. unit. The two will collaborate on developing and commercializing treatments for immunological and inflammatory diseases. In the near term, Recludix will get $125 million, but long term it could add up to $1.2 billion in milestones. Recludix could also bring in up to double-digit royalties on possible future product sales.
Since its emergence in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has killed nearly 7 million people. But at the same time, many infections, in particular in children and young adults, are asymptomatic with rapid viral clearance from the body. It remains unclear why many individuals are able to successfully clear infection without major complications while others develop severe disease, even without known risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Now, a new study involving nearly 30,000 individuals has found that variation in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci may underlie processes mediating asymptomatic infection. The findings were reported in the July 19, 2023, online edition of Nature.
Research led by Columbia University investigators has shed light on the immune pathway of the intestinal damage caused in celiac disease after gluten consumption. As reported in the July 14, 2023, issue of Science Immunology, the investigators showed an important role for cytotoxic T cells in addition to gluten-specific CD4+ T cells in the onset of celiac disease symptoms in a range of people with the condition.