In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the lung tissue thickens and stiffens through proliferation of fibroblasts and invasion by inflammatory cells. One of the drivers of these processes is the enzyme autotaxin, which produces the signaling molecule lysophosphatidic acid. Several inhibitors of autotaxin have been reported, which show varying degrees of clinical potential.
Beijing Fuyuan Medicine Co. Ltd. has described compounds acting as monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
To identify potential biomarkers of interstitial lung disease, researchers at West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Minda Hospital of Hubei Minzu University mined the Gene Expression Omnibus database of transcriptomes as well as compared tissues across healthy individuals and patients with connective tissue disease, who had interstitial lung disease or not.
Private equity firm Keensight Capital acquired a majority stake in Bedfont Scientific Ltd. in a move that will allow the company to expand the use of its devices for breath analysis and monitoring worldwide. Although the value of the deal was undisclosed, Keensight typically invests in profitable companies generating revenues in the range of €10 million to €400 million.
CF Pharmtech Inc. raised HK$607.67 million (US$78.12 million) through the sale of 41.19 million H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) Oct. 8. The proceeds will be used to advance the Suzhou, China-based drug developer’s portfolio of inhalation candidates for respiratory diseases.
CF Pharmtech Inc. raised HK$607.67 million (US$78.12 million) through the sale of 41.19 million H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) Oct. 8. The proceeds will be used to advance the Suzhou, China-based drug developer’s portfolio of inhalation candidates for respiratory diseases.
More than a decade after the last idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treatment gained U.S. FDA approval, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH’s Jascayd (nerandomilast) is set to hit the market following the agency’s green light on Oct. 7. While expected to offer a modest benefit over existing therapies, Jascayd, an orally administered preferential inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4B with breakthrough therapy status, is viewed by analysts as the first of several potential advancements in the IPF space over the next few years.
Like a scene from a movie, a British beauty influencer and a German disabled war veteran could provide just the spark that Europe needs to open its financial heart to med-tech companies in need of love and cash. The Beauty Tech Group, which sells a range of U.S. FDA-cleared aesthetics devices popular with global influencers, raised £106.5 million ($144 million) in an IPO Oct. 3 on the beleaguered London Stock Exchange.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rapidly progressing lung disease with high unmet needs and characterized by an excess in matrix deposition that leads to severe decline in lung functioning, where arginase expression and arginine metabolism seem to be involved and could be a promising target. Astrazeneca has presented data regarding their arginase inhibitor, AZD-8965, for the potential treatment of IPF.
OGG1 is a key enzyme in the base excision repair pathway, responsible for removing oxidized bases from DNA. In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), emerging evidence suggests that OGG1 also contributes to profibrotic gene expression, indicating a role beyond DNA repair.