Researchers from Paragon Therapeutics Inc. presented the preclinical characterization of ORKA-001 (PR-035), a novel half-life extended monoclonal antibody targeting the p19 subunit of IL-23, designed to treat chronic skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis.
Novartis AG is enlisting the help of Generate:Biomedicines Inc. and its artificial intelligence platform to generate drugs for multiple undisclosed targets. The number of targets and therapeutic areas also weren’t disclosed. Novartis will pick the targets, although the targets Generate has been working on are off limits. Generate will be responsible for creating the lead candidate, at which point Novartis will take over development.
Chengdian (Suzhou) Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has received IND clearance from the FDA, allowing it to initiate a first-in-human phase I trial of CD-001.
Rakuten Medical Inc. has presented preclinical results with RM-0256, a PD-L1-targeted photoimmunotherapy, showing its ability to kill immunosuppressive myeloid cells to activate local and systemic antitumor immunity.
UL16 binding protein 6 (ULBP6) is a molecule belonging to the stress-induced NKG2D ligand family and its expression is up-regulated on the surface of cancerous cells, binding to the immune-activating NKG2D receptor on natural killer (NK) and T cells, thus promoting immune evasion.
Highfield Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has filed an IND application with China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct a clinical trial of HF-50, an immunoliposome that directs T cells to attack solid tumors and enhances anticancer activity with an immune modulator.
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a stress response cytokine overexpressed in several types of cancer that induces weight loss and anorexia and is associated with poor survival. Researchers from Kyinno Biotechnology (Beijing) Ltd. have reported on the preclinical characterization of KY-NAb-GDF15, an anti-GDF15 antibody in models of cancer cachexia.
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an IL-6 type cytokine involved in the inflammatory response, stem cell self-renewal and tumor progression, that binds to LIFR and gp130 on the cell surface. LIF is overexpressed in several types of cancer such as pancreatic, breast or prostate cancer and thus is considered a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer.
Immunotherapy-focused biotech company LTZ Therapetics Inc. raised $20 million in a series A round that will advance development of its myeloid engager pipeline to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. Proceeds from the funds will accelerate development of lead asset LTZ-301, which is expected to enter the clinic in early 2025, LTZ founder and CEO Robert Li told BioWorld.
After decades of being woefully under-diagnosed and all but ignored by the biotech and pharma industry, recent advances in understanding its complex etiology could be opening the way to new treatments for endometriosis. Impetus is coming from (modest) increases in funding for basic research, such as the Biden administration’s $200 million for women’s health research and NIH grants under an ‘Advancing cures and therapies and ending endometriosis diagnostic delays’ call announced in March of this year.
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