2025 has been the most challenging year in the efforts to fight HIV since at least the advent of antiretroviral therapy. In a report on “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” released last week ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) described “a global system in shock” by sharply reduced funding from the U.S. and other wealthy nations. Scientifically, for now, progress is ongoing. To mark World AIDS Day, Nature published three independent studies on HIV.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG has described cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (MB21D1; cGAS) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of autoinflammatory interferonopathy, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cirrhosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), interstitial lung diseases, systemic scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute Inc. and Stanford University have identified RAF proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase (RAF1; cRaf) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Eli Lilly & Co. has synthesized relaxin receptor 1 (RXFP1; LGR7) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy and cardiovascular disorders, among others.
Kymera Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular disorders, viral infections, neurodegeneration, and autoimmune, metabolic and liver diseases, among others.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive cancer types, with survival rates being very low and current treatment being quite ineffective. To address this unmet medical need, HCW Biologics Inc. has developed and presented preclinical data for their T-cell engager approach – HCW11-018.
Inhibiting transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) may mitigate injury arising from ischemic stroke. Researchers at Zhejiang University and its medical school previously reported a small-molecule inhibitor of TRPM2, which also inhibited the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel, implying high risk of cardiotoxicity.
Raqualia Pharma Inc.’s Fimecs Inc. subsidiary has agreed with Astellas Pharma Inc. to add two new targets under their ongoing joint research. They entered into an agreement in 2022 to conduct joint research on targeted protein degradation.
M-3554 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting GD2; it has shown strong antitumor activity in neuroblastoma xenograft models and has been engineered to reduce anti-GD2 antibody-associated pain.