A recently published study in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer presents a novel bispecific antibody-cytokine fusion protein that effectively enhances antitumor immunity.

GC Biopharma Corp. has filed an IND application with the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for a phase I trial of GC-4006A, an mRNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19.

C4X Discovery Holdings Ltd. has selected a preclinical candidate from its oral α4β7 integrin inhibitor program for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The potent and selective α4β7 inhibitor supports once-daily dosing. Moreover, the company’s approach can be combined with other targeted therapies for patients with complex or refractory disease where existing approaches have failed to deliver sufficient control.

Globally, over half of people living with HIV are women. But in clinical cure trials, they make up only about 20% of participants. And that gender imbalance is causing researchers to miss out on ways to improve cure strategies. Because women’s immune systems appear to be better at controlling HIV infection in a way that silences the reservoir – the provirus integrated into host cells in infected persons.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for up to 85% of all cases of lung cancer, which is the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The need for effective treatments against NSCLC is urgent, and one promising target is pyruvate kinase M2, which plays metabolic and nonmetabolic roles in the cell. This enzyme has been implicated in various cancers beyond NSCLC, including pancreatic, gastric and breast cancers.