A nutritional supplement to reduce the effects of aging might not be a pill of eternal youth, but it could reduce many of the problems of getting old while maintaining good health. The first step to achieve this is included in a study led by scientists from Columbia University. They have set their sights on the amino acid taurine. Read More

Research led by Duke University and the German Center for Diabetes Research shows the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor plays an essential role in the action of the type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide; Eli Lilly and Co.) in human pancreatic islets. Read More

At the recent American Transplant Congress, researchers from McGill University presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) inhibitor, TF-S14, being developed as a potential therapy to delay skin allograft rejection. Read More

Enochian Biosciences Inc. is on track to file an IND application for its innovative cancer platform around the early part or middle of next year. If successful, that would allow clinical trials to begin in the first half of next year. Read More

Autotaxin (ATX) is an enzyme responsible for the production of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which plays a role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Researchers from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. and colleagues have reported on the preclinical evaluation of MT-5562, a novel oral ATX inhibitor, as a therapeutic option for SSc. Read More

Emris Pharma, a recent spin-off of Hadasit Medical Research Services and Development Ltd. and Yissum Research Development Co., has started development of a new topical drug to treat skin toxicities caused by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors used to treat cancer. Read More

Allianthera (Suzhou) Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has patented new aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, lung diseases, bone, dermatological, eye, gastrointestinal, neurological and pancreatic disorders, among others. Read More

At the recent ASCO meeting, researchers from the University of Rochester reported preclinical data for on a new small-molecule inhibitor of WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2 (HE4) – UR-238 – that is being investigated for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Research at the University of California, Oakland and 1200 Pharma LLC has led to the identification of GTPase KRAS (G12C mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Researchers from Universität zu Köln have published data from a study that investigated the pathophysiology of disabling pansclerotic morphea (DPM), and as such, gain better understanding of the much larger range of disorders characterized by poor wound healing and severe, unchecked fibrosis. Read More

Iktos SA and Curreio Inc. have established a collaboration agreement using artificial intelligence (AI) for new drug design. Under this collaboration, Iktos will leverage its de novo generative design technology in combination with Curreio’s cryo-electron microscopy (EM) platform to facilitate the rapid design of novel preclinical drug candidates for an undisclosed target. Read More

Cerevance Inc. has described N-(4-aminocyclohexyl)pyrimidine-4-carboxamide derivatives acting as ADP-ribosyl cyclase/cyclic ADP-ribose hydrolase 1 (CD38) inhibitors. As such, they are reported to be useful for the treatment of aging, diabetic nephropathy, glaucoma, inflammatory disorders, metabolic syndrome, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. Read More

Tuberculosis (TB) is the 13th leading cause of death in the world, and it is rising together with the increased prevalence of drug-resistant TB in many countries. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is the only available TB vaccine, and it has been given to more people than any other vaccine. While the BCG vaccine has saved tens of millions of lives, it confers suboptimal protection against pulmonary TB as it is limited to providing protection only until early childhood. Significantly, the BCG vaccine is administered intradermally to confer exceptional mucosal immunity as compared to most other vaccines, which are more commonly administered intramuscularly. Novel strategies to improve the duration of TB mucosal immunity are urgently needed. Read More

Pipeline Therapeutics Inc. has received FDA clearance to initiate a phase I trial of PIPE-791 in healthy volunteers, with dosing expected to begin in the second half of this year. PIPE-791 is advancing toward clinical development for remyelination and neuroinflammation, with a leading indication of multiple sclerosis (MS). Read More

AC Immune SA has patented 4h-imidazo[1,5-b]pyrazole derivatives and labeled compounds targeting α-synuclein (SNCA). They are reported to be useful for diagnosis of multiple system atrophy, Parkinson’s dementia, Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Read More

Lantern Pharma Inc. has entered into a research collaboration with Bielefeld University to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with therapeutic and antitumor potential. Using Lantern’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) platform, RADR, the collaboration will leverage insights from the recently developed RADR AI ADC module in combination with research from Bielefeld. Read More

Currently, there are no treatments to reverse or prevent genetic hearing loss, which affects 1 in 500 newborns. Several gene replacement and overexpression preclinical studies targeting genetic hearing loss have shown success, as the inner ear can be accessed safely by local injection. However, all these gene therapy studies have been performed in neonatal animals, except one in the Otof gene; therefore, the suitability of the approach in the fully mature adult inner ear remains to be elucidated. Read More

Wigen Biomedicine Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. researchers have identified mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP4K1; HPK1; MEKKK1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More