Naturecell Co. Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary, Naturecell America, has received IND clearance from the FDA for Astrostem-AU, an autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Tr1x Inc. was founded with a simple but ambitious goal: to change how autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are treated, moving away from chronic treatment and toward durable cures. “We are trying to flip the script on regulatory T cells (Tregs),” Tr1x CEO David de Vries told BioWorld. “The goal is to reset the immune system rather than continuously suppress it, and we believe we have a unique technology to do that.”

Canwell Pharma Inc. has obtained IND approval from the FDA for CAN-016, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). The company will initiate a phase I study in patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors who have experienced disease progression following prior ADC therapies.

Telomir Pharmaceuticals Inc. has submitted an IND application to the U.S. FDA for its lead candidate, Telomir-1 (Telomir-Zn), for the treatment of advanced and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Telomir-1 is a first-in-class metal-modulating epigenetic agent designed to restore transcriptional control in tumor cells by targeting intracellular iron-zinc homeostasis.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is taking a neuroplastogen approach to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through its planned $1.22 billion acquisition of Transcend Therapeutics Inc. The deal gives Tokyo-headquartered Otsuka access to Transcend’s lead asset, TSND-201, an oral neuroplastogen that has begun patient recruitment for a phase III study in the U.S.

Aktis Oncology Inc. has obtained IND approvals from the FDA enabling the company to proceed to a phase Ib trial with AKY-2519, a miniprotein radioconjugate targeting B7-H3-expressing tumors, including prostate, lung and other solid tumors. Specifically, the IND clearances relate to [64Cu]Cu-AKY-2519 for imaging and [225Ac]Ac-AKY-2519 for therapeutic use.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is taking a neuroplastogen approach to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through its planned $1.22 billion acquisition of Transcend Therapeutics Inc. The deal gives Tokyo-headquartered Otsuka access to Transcend’s lead asset, TSND-201, an oral neuroplastogen that has begun patient recruitment for a phase III study in the U.S.

Shanghai Unixell Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for UX-GIP001, its iPSC-derived allogeneic cell therapy for focal epilepsy. A phase I study will evaluate UX-GIP001 in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.