Delonix Bioworks Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its group B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine candidate, DX-104. This follows the successful completion last month of clinical trial notification (CTN) procedures and ethics committee approval in Australia.

Beijing Innocare Pharma Tech Co. Ltd. has gained IND clearance in China to conduct clinical trials of ICP-538, an orally administered molecular glue degrader targeting VAV1, which is a key protein downstream of T-cell and B-cell receptors. ICP-538 is being studied for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis.

The neural and neuroimmune mechanisms behind myocardial infarction-triggered cardiac events, immune responses and activation of the nervous system remain largely unexplored. The heart and the brain talk to each other in what is known as cardioception. This communication between the two organs is orchestrated through neurons of the vagus nerve or the dorsal root ganglia, among others. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego have now shown that the dynamics of these interactions may play a crucial role in modulating inflammation, repair and cardiac functioning.

Scientists at Ghent University have created a mouse model that incorporates human versions of the receptors that recognize the fragment crystallizable region of immunoglobulin G, one of the most abundant antibodies in the blood and a key mediator of essential immune functions such as cellular activation, pathogen elimination and the regulation of inflammatory responses.

Insilico Medicine Cayman Topco has nominated ISM-5059, a peripherally restricted small-molecule NLRP3 inhibitor, as a preclinical candidate.

A recent publication in Cell Reports Medicine from researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine and the La Jolla Institute for Immunology presents a promising new strategy for H5N1 vaccination.

Third Arc Bio Inc. has closed a $52 million series A extension to advance its pipeline of multifunctional antibodies for a range of oncology and immunology & inflammation (I&I) indications.

Scientists at Ghent University have created a mouse model that incorporates human versions of the receptors that recognize the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of immunoglobulin G (IgG), one of the most abundant antibodies in the blood and a key mediator of essential immune functions such as cellular activation, pathogen elimination and the regulation of inflammatory responses. These human Fcγ receptors allow the humanized mouse to more accurately reproduce IgG-driven biology, enabling more reliable and safer preclinical assays before evaluating monoclonal antibodies in clinical trials with people.

Astrazeneca plc is investing $15 billion in China through 2030 to expand R&D and manufacturing, marking one of the largest long-term investments by a multinational pharma company in the country. The U.K.-based company also struck a deal worth up to $3.5 billion with China’s CSPC Pharmaceuticals Group Ltd. to accelerate the development of next-generation therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes.