Exsilio Therapeutics emerged from stealth mode on June 25, 2024, with $82 million from a series A financing that was co-led by Novartis Venture Fund and Delos Capital. The company plans to use naturally occurring, mobile genetic elements to integrate therapeutic genes at a defined location in the genome, making it safer than random integration, which can cause tumor formation. Read More
Targeting monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (MGAT2), an enzyme highly expressed in the small intestine, has been validated as an antiobesity strategy in the preclinical setting. Read More
Nurexone Biologic Inc. has announced a preclinical study to explore the potential of the company’s exosome-based therapies for regenerating damaged optic nerves. The study is led by principal investigators from the Sheba Medical Center Eye Institute. Read More
Spur Therapeutics Ltd., formerly Freeline Therapeutics, has announced new data from its GBA1 Parkinson’s disease research program. In a subset of Parkinson’s disease patients with mutations in the GBA1 gene, such mutations lead to a deficiency of the glucocerebrosidase (GCase) enzyme and the accumulation of harmful substrates. Read More
Kanvas Biosciences Inc. has raised $12.5 million in additional funding to support development of the company’s spatial biology platform and advance two novel therapeutics in its immuno-oncology program, KAN-001 and KAN-003. Read More
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. has been awarded up to $34 million over 5 years under a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Read More
Shenzhen Zhongge Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has disclosed interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) inhibitors and/or degraders reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis, graft-vs.-host disease, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others. Read More
A group of researchers in India have looked into the role of estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), and studied the effect of combination therapy with an ERRγ inverse agonist, DN-200434, and the AKT inhibitor MK-2206 in in vitro and in vivo assays. Read More
Signet Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA for SIGX-1094 as a potential treatment for diffuse gastric cancer. A phase I trial is planned in patients with diffuse gastric cancer and other advanced solid tumors. Read More
Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized antibody-drug conjugates consisting of anti-B7-H3 antibodies covalently linked to cytotoxic drugs reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Medipal Holdings Corp. and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. have announced the completion of the clinical trial notification review by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for a phase I/II study of JR-446 for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome type B). Read More
Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has divulged myeloperoxidase inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Read More
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has a prevalence of about 25% in the adult population, with steatosis present in >5% of hepatocytes, hepatocyte ballooning and fibrosis as the main hallmarks. Scientists have tested effects of the galectin-3 inhibitor modified citrus pectin (MCP) in ApoE knockout mice fed a western diet. Read More
Pharma Foods International Co. Ltd. (PFI) has announced the achievement of a milestone under its licensing agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. for a new investigational therapeutic antibody for autoimmune diseases. Read More
Senya Pharmaceuticals Inc. has described NAD(+) hydrolase SARM1 (SAMD2; MyD88-5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders. Read More
