Gene editing strategies, from epigenetic engineering to cell reprogramming and genetic vaccines, are accelerating the development of new therapies that awaken the immune system to treat cancer, as presented last month in Rome at the 31st Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT). Some of these advances are taking advantage of the conditions of the tumor microenvironment, where cancer cells coexist with immune cells, microorganisms and blood vessels.
Two days after Monte Rosa Therapeutics Inc. signed a molecular glue degrader deal with Novartis AG, two other companies, Biogen Inc. and Neomorph Inc., are moving forward in the same space in a partnership worth up to $1.45 billion. Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen and San Diego-based Neomorph will develop molecular glue degraders (MGDs) for priority targets in Alzheimer’s, rare neurological and immunological diseases, using Neomorph’s MGD platform to identify and validate novel small-molecule protein degraders.
Pfizer Inc. has divulged AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators reported to be useful for the treatment of autoimmune diseases as well as inflammatory and gastrointestinal disorders.
Backed by AI technology, Aigen Sciences Inc. raised ₩12 billion (US$8.8 million) in a series A financing round to further advance its cancer and rare disease drug pipelines. Aigen said Oct. 16 that the series A round was joined by existing investors Partners Investment, Quad Investment Management and Medytox Venture Investment, as well new investors Premier Partners, K2 Investment Partners and Scale Up Partners.
Work at Janssen Pharmaceutica NV has led to the identification of lactam-containing imidazopyridazine interleukin-17A (IL-17A)/interleukin-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) interaction inhibitors.
During an Innovation Ignited webinar sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, experts talked about how precision medicine has helped advance the field of oncology and how those lessons can be applied to immunology. Advancements in precision medicine have helped oncologists know which drugs are most likely to help patients as their tumors advance and mutate.
Recent decades have brought advances in pharmacological therapies for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but their sustained efficacy is still not enough, and developing novel therapies is an unmet medical need for this condition.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an antibody-mediated chronic neuromuscular disorder leading to fluctuating weakness and early muscle fatigue, with limited treatment options available. In MG, such as other autoimmune diseases, the main pathogenic autoantibody involved is the immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype.
Recent advances in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, have shown that inhibiting the interaction between the α4β7 integrin and the endothelial ligand mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MADCAM1) has proven useful, safe and effective.
At the United European Gastroenterology Week in Vienna, Redx Pharma plc presented data regarding their ROCK inhibitor RXC-008 for treating fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease. RXC-008 is restricted to the gastrointestinal tract, thus avoiding systemic exposure; ROCK1/2 kinases are involved in fibrosis and their blockade has been efficacious in several rodent models of fibrotic disease.