Patients receiving a kidney transplant and who are positive for BK virus (BKV) are at risk of losing their transplant due to BKV reactivation. At this time, there are no antiviral options available for the prevention of BKV-associated nephropathy. Researchers from Aicuris Anti-infective Cures GmbH presented preclinical data on AIC-468, an antisense RNA therapy that inhibits the splicing process of a viral mRNA encoding a protein critical for BKV replication.
Researchers from Southern Medical University and affiliated organizations presented the discovery and preclinical characterization of novel human urate transporter 1 (hURAT1) inhibitors being developed for the treatment of hyperuricemia.
Purespring Therapeutics Ltd. has raised £80 million (US$104.6 million) in a series B, putting it on course to be the first to take a gene therapy for a kidney disease into the clinic. The money enables the company to move the lead program, PS-002, for the treatment of IgA nephropathy to clinical proof of concept and advance programs in other complement-mediated kidney diseases, and in an undisclosed glomerular kidney disease.
Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has patented tricyclic prostaglandin E2 receptor EP3 subtype (PTGER3; EP3) agonists potentially useful for the treatment of renal diseases.
Researchers from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University have assessed the role of ankyrin repeat domain 1 (ANKRD1) in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which is the primary cause of acute kidney injury (AKI).
Harbin Medisan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized PPARδ agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of fibrosis, neurodegeneration, inflammation, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, autoimmune and metabolic disorders.
Researchers from Japan Tobacco Inc. presented the discovery and preclinical characterization of novel highly potent Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors.
Astrazeneca plc recently provided details on the discovery of the potent, direct and selective NLPR3 inflammasome inhibitor AZD-4144 for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
With full approval from the U.S. FDA in hand for Travere Therapeutics Inc.’s Filspari (sparsentan) to slow kidney function decline in adults with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) who are at risk of disease progression, eyes turned to future prospects as well as how a revised risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) program might shake out. During a conference call hosted by Travere, Leerink analyst Joseph Schwartz wanted to know what changes might be made, and if the regulator’s decision might “actually be an entire removal” of the REMS.
Recent research indicates that CDC42 plays a role in the pathogenesis of kidney disorders such as congenital nephrotic syndrome or glomerulosclerosis because it is necessary for the correct function of renal podocyte and tubule.