Interax Biotech Ltd. and Alveus Therapeutics Inc. have signed a strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement to develop a differentiated small-molecule candidate for metabolic disease. Designed to overcome the limitations of current obesity medications, the candidate is expected to deliver durable weight loss with superior tolerability.

Once it was considered to be more or less a passive energy-storing device that could double as a cushion. But increasingly, fat is conceptualized as an endocrine organ as much as a tissue type. Now, separate research groups have reported new insights into the functional roles of different fats based on their anatomical location and functional characteristics.

Généthon, a nonprofit laboratory created by the AFM-Téléthon, has reported its exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Askbio Inc., a subsidiary of Bayer AG, for the use of a patented component of AB-1009, under development by Askbio, for the treatment of Pompe disease.

Previous studies combining molecular techniques and genetic mouse models revealed the functional roles of several microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in metabolic disorders. In particular, the lnc-megacluster (lncMGC), located on human chromosome 14q32.2 and hosting about 40 miRNAs, plays a role in diabetic kidney disease and pancreatic islet dysfunction. A team at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope investigated the regulatory role of lncMGC in obesity and adipose dysfunction.