Based on its analysis of a large cohort of individuals homozygous for the ε4 variant of apolipoprotein E (APOE4), a multinational team of researchers is arguing that homozygosity for APOE4 should be considered a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease. However, not everyone agrees that the findings warrant reclassifying APOE from risk factor to causal gene. Currently, APOE4 is classified as the strongest risk factor for developing AD. Another variant, the APOE2 variant, is protective, while APOE3 is neutral. Read More

Vyne Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA allowing it to initiate a first-in-human phase Ia study of VYN-202, an oral small-molecule BD2-selective BET inhibitor for autoimmune diseases. Read More

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis, in part due to the immunosuppression surrounding the tumor mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs), thus preventing effective responses to immune therapy. Read More

Eisbach Bio GmbH has announced FDA clearance of its IND application for EIS-12656, a first-in-class orally bioavailable and blood-brain barrier-penetrant allosteric inhibitor of ALC1 (CHD1L), a key molecular machine in DNA repair. Enrollment will open in the second quarter in a phase I/II trial in patients with genetically defined advanced solid tumors, including patients progressing under PARP inhibitor treatment. Read More

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in immune response regulation in autoimmune disease such as autoimmune hepatitis. Researchers investigated whether Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is present in marijuana, could prevent the development of autoimmune hepatitis in treated mice by altering miRNA expression. Read More

The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a part of the Unitedhealth Group, crippled reimbursement claims processing for thousands of providers for several weeks and potentially exposed troves of patient data. Congressional committees are investigating the attack, its scope, and Unitedhealth’s response. Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey to help BioWorld understand how your company is responding to these threats. You can click through to the questions here. Read More

Lantern Pharma Inc. has entered into a strategic artificial intelligence (AI)-driven collaboration with Oregon Therapeutics SAS to optimize the development of Oregon’s first-in-class protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) inhibitor drug candidate XCE-853 in novel and targeted cancer indications. Read More

Researchers from ADC Therapeutics SA presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel camptothecin-based Claudin-6-specific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), GB01-VA-PL2202. Read More

Appicine Therapeutics (HK) Ltd. has disclosed proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising a E3 ubiquitin ligase-binding moiety coupled to a Bcl-2-like protein 1 (Bcl-xL; Bcl-X; BCL2L1)-targeting moiety through a linker. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co. Ltd. has synthesized imidazole derivatives acting as α1A-adrenoceptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension and urinary incontinence. Read More

Bioatla Inc. has received FDA clearance of its IND application for BA-3361, a conditionally active biologic (CAB)-Nectin-4 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of multiple tumor types. Read More

Novartis AG has identified Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN; RECQ3; RECQL2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Scientists at Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire de Lille, INSERM and University of Lille have divulged diphenylpyrazole compounds acting as β-amyloid (Aβ) production inhibitors and autophagy marker ratio modulators reported to be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

Researchers from Gempharmatech Co. Ltd. presented a new humanized mouse model for preclinical research into the functionality and therapeutic potential of IL-12. Read More

Kymera Therapeutics Inc. has described salts of IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) degradation inducers and their crystalline forms reported to be useful for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders. Read More