Orthogon Therapeutics LLC has closed an oversubscribed financing round, with funding to be used to accelerate the development of its first-in-class treatments for managing BK virus reactivation in transplant patients.
Researchers from Maplight Therapeutics Inc. presented preclinical data for the investigational muscarinic M1/M4 receptor agonist ML-007, being evaluated for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The activity of ML-007 was compared to that of another muscarinic M1/M4 agonist, xanomeline.
Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have successfully replicated the design of regulatory T cells, achieving local targeted immune suppression and protection from CAR T-cell cytotoxicity. Many of the treatments used so far in the context of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders lead to systemic immunosuppression. In this sense, limiting immunosuppression locally to targeted tissues may help overcome systemic toxicity.
Dewpoint Therapeutics Inc. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. have entered a research collaboration worth up to $480 million to advance Dewpoint’s novel TDP-43 small-molecule condensate modulator for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Under terms of the deal, Boston-based Dewpoint will receive an undisclosed up-front payment and is eligible to receive R&D-based milestone payments up to $480 million. Upon reaching those milestones, Osaka, Japan-based MTPC will have an exclusive option to license the program and assume responsibility for global clinical development and commercialization. Dewpoint will also receive tiered royalties on net sales.
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Biovaxys Technology, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Elevation Oncology, Modus Therapeutics, Nurexone Biologic, Poolbeg Pharma, Y-mAbs Therapeutics.
Wigen Biomedicine Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. has divulged compounds acting as histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and/or 2 (HDAC2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Nanjing Mingde New Drug Research Co. Ltd. has identified cytochrome P450 11B2, mitochondrial (CYP11B2; aldosterone synthase; ALDOS) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of hypertension.
Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has described compounds acting as integrin αvβ1 and/or αvβ6 antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).