An experimental drug for treating diabetes and obesity has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and increase fat burning. It is a β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonist that mimics the effects of physical exercise by activating skeletal muscle metabolism. Unlike GLP-1-based treatments such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, this new compound, developed by researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, and the biotech company Atrogi AB, does not suppress appetite or cause muscle loss. 

The Alphafold machine learning system for predicting a protein’s structure from its amino acid sequence has been adapted to make it possible to design de novo proteins that fold in a particular way and bind to prespecified target proteins. The sister system, called Alphadesign, works by generating random strings of amino acids, using Alphafold to predict their structure, and then iteratively optimizing the design.

Chinese researchers are preparing the details for the publication of another scientific milestone, the creation of a chimera with a human heart and a kidney developed from human stem cells in pig embryos.

Chinese researchers are preparing the details for the publication of another scientific milestone, the creation of a chimera with a human heart and a kidney developed from human stem cells in pig embryos. These studies aim to address the shortage of immunocompatible organ donors while shedding light on some of the most fundamental questions in developmental biology.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has entered into a strategic research collaboration agreement with Astrazeneca plc for the discovery and development of novel oral small-molecule candidates utilizing the group’s AI-driven, dual-engine efficient drug discovery platform.

Researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University filed for protection of their development of a slim, painless, and affordable microfluidic infusion pump device for the continuous transdermal delivery of drugs.

Microneedle technology could help simplify vaccine delivery to better support global immunization efforts, and Australia is leading the way in this innovative technology.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. have released an open-source AI model that can predict the binding strength of small molecules as well as structures of proteins and biomolecular complexes. The model, which is called Boltz-2 and was released by the research team on the developer platform Github on June 6, addresses a major bottleneck in drug discovery with its improved ability to predict binding strengths.

Microneedle technology could help simplify vaccine delivery to better support global immunization efforts, and Australia is leading the way in this innovative technology.

Turning the human body into a biofactory of precision protein therapeutics is the focus of newly launched Signify Bio, which emerged with an oversubscribed $15 million initial financing to advance three platforms with broad potential across therapeutic areas.