Could GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), already used in obesity and diabetes, be repurposed as drugs to slow aging? Hong Kong, one of the places in the world with the highest human longevity, is also home to a scientific study on the effects of GLP-1RAs. For the first time, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have assessed their pharmacological potential in later life using a multiomics preclinical approach.
Harbour Biomed is stepping up its antibody discovery process by using AI to develop innovative therapeutics. “We have done great through the traditional way of generating leads and designing molecules, but there’s a major gap as some therapeutics cannot reach the desired location or common targets,” Harbour Biomed founder, chairman and CEO Jingsong Wang told BioWorld.
Mindrank Therapeutics (Suzhou) New Drug Research & Development Co. Ltd. has divulged molecular glue degraders comprising cereblon (CRBN) ligands acting as dual eukaryotic peptide chain release factor GTP-binding subunit ERF3A (GSPT1) and casein kinase 1 isoform α (CSNK1A1) degradation inducers. They are reported to be potentially useful for the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases.
Hutchmed Ltd. has identified antibody-drug conjugates comprising an antibody or antigen binding fragment covalently linked to a GTPase RAS or KRAS inhibitor through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Hangzhou Zhongmei Huadong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized GTPase KRAS wild-type and/or its mutant inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Yichang Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has disclosed morphinan derivatives acting as κ-opioid receptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pain and pruritus.
In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and various other cancers, mutations in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) cause aberrant activation of NRF2 transcriptional activity, resulting in therapeutic resistance and poor survival.
The limited efficacy of cancer immunotherapy is usually attributed to suboptimal antitumor T-cell generation, as well as impaired immunological memory development. MDX-2004 is a trispecific antibody-fusion protein developed by Modex Therapeutics Inc. that targets CD3, CD28 and CD137 on human T cells, which was designed to overcome these limitations by rejuvenating the immune system and enhancing antitumor immunity.
At the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, researchers from Circle Pharma Inc. presented their recent work on developing novel compounds that specifically target cyclin D1 while avoiding the toxicity associated with targeting cyclin D3.