Aqilion AB has released promising results from new studies with molecules from the company’s lead series within the TAK1 program, demonstrating a strong disease-modifying effect in a well-established model of skin inflammation.

The FDA has awarded U.S. orphan drug designation to Eydisbio Inc.’s EYD-001 (formerly HS-276), a highly selective and potent, orally bioavailable TAK1 inhibitor for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. Eydisbio plans to initiate clinical trials in the near future.

Novartis AG described the identification and activity of TAK-756, a novel, selective and potent TAK1 inhibitor, as a potential intra-articular therapy for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Previous studies demonstrated that TAK1 appears to be a potential target for controlling inflammation and catabolism through NF-κB and MAPK pathways.

Eydisbio Inc. has been awarded a $2.6 million phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to support its ongoing research into the efficacy of TAK1 inhibition in animal models of systemic sclerosis.

Researchers from Eydis Bio Inc. reported the discovery and preclinical characterization of a novel mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 7 (MAP3K7/TAK1) inhibitor, EYD-001, being developed for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.