Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is a chronic form of disease that occurs after relapsing-remitting MS, with a progressive disease course, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that may be a useful marker of Eomes+ Th cells; the antigen has been shown to be expressed by cytotoxic Th cells and required for late-onset disease.

The Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) meeting in Copenhagen this week is celebrating its 40th edition. In recognition of this landmark, the plenary session and opening lecture were attended by Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Afterward, the hot topic session on neuroprotective therapies set the stage for the subsequent discussions on the latest trends in the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Papillon Therapeutics Inc.’s PPL-001 has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA for Friedreich’s ataxia. PPL-001 is an experimental gene-corrected CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) therapy.

Two leading glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for obesity and type 2 diabetes – Novo Nordisk A/S’s semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and Eli Lilly and Co.’s tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) – are advancing in China after taking the U.S. market by storm.

As Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. go head-to-head in the U.S. and Chinese glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) market for diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk is in innovator gear once more with leading studies of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s disease.

Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech companies are leading development of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. edge closer to launching blockbuster therapies in China. At the heart of the GLP-1 boom is a nationwide obesity problem driven by a confluence of factors, including the rise of a modern, sedentary lifestyle, according to Clarivate. Despite the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the gap in obesity therapeutics is “substantial and leaves a solid market opportunity for weight loss drugs,” Karan Verma, principal analyst of healthcare research & data analytics at Clarivate, said.

Somite Therapeutics Inc.’s lead program, SMT-M01, has been awarded orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations by the FDA for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The program leverages the company’s proprietary Alphastem artificial intelligence (AI) platform to develop a novel cell replacement therapy for DMD.

The map of the human brain is not a static image of the cellular architecture of the central nervous system (CNS). Throughout life, all living beings are born, develop and age. The brain of pregnant mothers reflects a dynamic that modifies this general picture. A collaboration of scientists from the University of California has studied the changes in the adult brain during pregnancy and observed that a large part of it adapts during the development of the fetus.