Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co. Ltd. and Nanjing Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have announced IND clearance by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for NTB-003 (formerly BCG-009) for thyroid eye disease.

Human adenovirus may cause severe infections in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent individuals and there is no specific approved therapy for it to date. The incidence may be about 50%-60% in immunocompromised subjects, with mortality rates around 80% in patients with disseminated infections.

Chronic pain is a constant challenge to around 20% of the global population, and treatments to mitigate such pain often cause unacceptable side effects because the receptors and signaling pathways involved in pain sensing also drive necessary processes in the heart, lungs and liver. Opioid analgesics can be effective against chronic pain, but they can lead to tolerance and addiction.

Rakuten Medical Inc.’s RM-0256 has been selected for funding by Japan’s Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).

Oncovita SAS’s lead oncolytic virus candidate, Mvdeltac, has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA.

Cancervax Inc. has successfully created a nanoparticle that can target specific cells that are potentially cancerous.