Two Flagship Pioneering Inc. biopharma companies founded in the last five years and focused on proteomic and genomic technologies entered agreements to help discover new therapeutics for respiratory and liver diseases under a framework collaboration with GSK plc. Under that agreement, Profound Therapeutics Inc. and Quotient Therapeutics Inc. would use their platform technologies to discover novel proteins and targets for developing drugs to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with Quotient taking on a third indication with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
A team of investigators at the University of Pittsburgh have found that a CXCR3-activating peptide (named CXCL10p) can prevent lung fibrosis and inflammation in the bleomycin mouse model.
Korro Bio Inc.’s latest update on RNA editing prospect KRRO-110 may mean one less competitor in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), and shares of the firm (NASDAQ:KRRO) closed Nov. 13 at $6.50, down $24.92, or 79%. As part of the third-quarter earnings report, Korro said KRRO-110 produced functional protein in AATD patients but fell short of projected levels of functional protein after a single administration.
Suzhou Junjian Yifang Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has described pyrimido[6,1-a]isoquinolin-4-one derivatives acting as dual phosphodiesterase PDE3 and PDE4 inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder affecting around 90,000 people worldwide. It is commonly caused by the ΔF508 mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which results in a misfolded CFTR protein that is subsequently ubiquitinated and degraded.
Montse Rosa Therapeutics Inc. has developed a molecular glue degrader named MRT-2359 that selectively degrades the translation termination factor ERF3A.
Carbon Biosciences Inc. has presented data on a parvovirus-based vector that restores full-length cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene for treating cystic fibrosis.
Qyuns Therapeutics Co. Ltd. signed a potential $1.07 billion license deal with Roche Holding AG, granting the latter exclusive rights to QX-031N – a human thymic stromal lymphopoietin and interleukin-33)-targeting bispecific antibody.
Researchers at Calluna Pharma AS, Agiana Pharmaceuticals AS and Roskilde University have developed the first humanized IgG4 antibody that inhibits S100A4, which is a calcium-binding protein that helps drive fibrotic inflammatory diseases.
Insmed Inc. has described cathepsin C (dipeptidyl peptidase I; DPP-1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, liver injury, osteoarthritis, heart failure, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others.