Two back-to-back papers published in Nature on Sept. 10, 2025, shed new light on the unexpected role of neurons in shaping the evolution of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). It’s already known that, in gliomas, cerebral cancer cells actively damage axons, contributing to tumor progression through direct neural disruption. Comparable nerve-tumor interactions have been reported in peripheral cancers, where tumor-induced nerve disruption promotes inflammation and an immunosuppressive microenvironment linked to immunotherapy resistance. Read More
At the ongoing European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Vienna, Hanmi Holdings Co. Ltd. presented preclinical efficacy data on HM-15275, a long-acting GLP-1/GIP/glucagon receptor triple agonist developed for the treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic complications. Read More
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded a 5-year $20.8 million grant to a multi-institutional team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators for advanced preclinical development of a promising experimental HIV vaccine. Read More
Although the development pipeline for obesity treatments is expanding rapidly, weight loss is often accompanied by a concurrent reduction in lean muscle mass, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches that promote fat loss while preserving muscle. Activin type II receptors (ACTRIIA/B) are regulators of muscle homeostasis, while the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) plays a role in energy balance and adiposity. Read More
Vectory Therapeutics BV and Shape Therapeutics Inc. have entered into an option and license agreement granting Vectory an exclusive option to evaluate Shape’s deep brain penetrating AAV capsid, SHP-DB1, for vectorized antibody payloads against three therapeutic targets. Read More
Atai Life Sciences NV has been awarded a multiyear, milestone-driven grant worth up to $11.4 million by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support development of Atai’s novel 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonists with nonhallucinogenic potential for opioid use disorder. Read More
A novel mRNA drug, 3’UTRMYC1-18 (UTRxM1-18), has demonstrated notable efficacy in preclinical models of aggressive pancreatic cancer, addressing a disease that is often resistant to conventional treatments. Read More
Iveena Delivery Systems Inc. has been awarded a $2 million phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to advance the development of novel topical eye drops to control pediatric myopia and other refractive disorders. Read More
Bugworks Research India Pvt Ltd. has disclosed cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Shanghai Huilun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized type 2 angiotensin II receptor (AGTR2; AT2) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pain, particularly neuropathic pain. Read More
Bionova Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has identified methylthioadenosine (MTA) synergistic protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Hangzhou Zhongmei Huadong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has divulged antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) comprising antibodies targeting human mucin-17 (MUC17) covalently linked to a cytotoxic drug through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Touchstone Innovations Ltd. has described peptide hormone analogues acting as gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of obesity. Read More
