More effective treatments are needed for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a heterogeneous group of myeloid disorders that frequently progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In a recent publication, Debiopharm SA and The Ohio State University demonstrate that MDS cells express CD37 and that both AML and MDS cells exhibit efficient internalization of this receptor. Debio-1562M, under development at Debiopharm, is a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD37.
DNA polymerase θ (POLθ) plays a central role in microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), an error-prone DSB repair pathway. Under normal conditions, MMEJ acts as a backup repair mechanism. However, in HRR-deficient tumors, reliance on POLlθ-driven MMEJ is markedly increased, making POLθ essential for cancer cell survival. Researchers from Astrazeneca plc reported the discovery and characterization of AZD-4956, a POLθ inhibitor that can be used in combination with PARP inhibitors and other DNA-damaging agents.
New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for drug development are transforming biomedical research by replacing or complementing animal models. More than 90% of experimental compounds fail in clinical trials, underscoring the need for strategies that better capture human biology. Many of these techniques were showcased at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.
Researchers in the U.K. have developed an AI-driven method of identifying viruses in wild animals with the potential to spillover into humans. The technique makes it possible to use the genome sequences of the spike proteins by which viruses enter host cells to assess the potential to infect humans without having to isolate an individual virus and tests its infectivity in the lab.
Researchers from Ruijin Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have patented molecular glue degraders, specifically eukaryotic peptide chain release factor GTP-binding subunit ERF3A (GSPT1) degradation inducers that are potentially useful for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease and inflammatory disorders.
Jiangsu Vcare Pharmatech Co. Ltd. has described interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
Singularity Pharma Ltd. has divulged mitragynine analogues that are potentially useful for the treatment of postoperative pain, depression, opioid dependence, opioid withdrawal, inflammatory and psychiatric disorders.
Hinova Pharmaceuticals Inc. has synthesized prodrugs of orforglipron (a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor [GLP-1R] agonist) for the potential treatment of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, cerebral infarction, arthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome and Parkinson’s disease, among others.
Solve Therapeutics Inc. has identified antibody-drug conjugates comprising antibodies covalently bound to camptothecin derivatives through a cleavable linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Previous work showed that neurogenic transcriptional factors, such as NeuroD1 and Neurogenin 2, and small-molecule cocktails can reprogram glioma cells into neuron-like cells while also suppressing their proliferative and invasive phenotypes.
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