Researchers from the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and their collaborators have identified adenosine as the driving force behind the rapid, fast-acting antidepressant effects of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). “Our journey into this area of research began over a decade ago, around 2013, when the clinical world was buzzing with excitement about ketamine's remarkably rapid antidepressant effects,” Minmin Luo, co-senior author of the study, told BioWorld. Read More
Melanocortin-4-receptor MC4R is a crucial molecule involved in energy homeostasis, feeding behavior and metabolism, and loss-of-function mutations in this gene are the main monogenic cause of early-onset obesity. Congruence Therapeutics Inc. has developed a small molecule, CGX-926, that corrected MC4R deficiency and restored its cell-surface expression and function. Read More
Hutchmed (China) Ltd. has developed HMPL-A251, a novel HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to deliver a potent PI3K/PIKK inhibitor directly to tumor cells. Read More
Century Therapeutics Inc. has announced its first program for type 1 diabetes, CNTY-813. The program comprises induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived β islets engineered with the company’s proprietary Allo-Evasion 5.0 technology, designed to protect from T-cell, NK-cell and humoral immune rejection, with the goal of durable glycemic control without the need for systemic immunosuppression. Read More
In an effort to generate an effective and safer inhibitor, researchers at the University of Cape Town, University of Dundee and Massachusetts Institute of Technology used structure-guided rational design to improve on their previously reported 2,8-diaryl-1,5-naphthyridine inhibitor. Read More
Editor Annette Boyle discusses the challenges med-tech companies face in bringing innovation to market and how the industry can overcome them. Read More
Numab Therapeutics AG and Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have entered into a strategic licensing and co-development agreement for NM-81, a multi-specific antibody for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Read More
Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co. Ltd. has disclosed mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, erythema and vasculitis. Read More
Researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Marengo Therapeutics Inc. previously developed a first-in-class, bifunctional therapeutic molecule (STAR-0602) that selectively activates V β6 and V β10 T-cell receptor-expressing T cells and boosts antitumor responses in human ex vivo tumor models. Read More
Nanjing Zaiming Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN; RECQ3; RECQL2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Abbvie Inc. has identified lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1; EDG2) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of fibrosis and inflammatory disorders. Read More
At the recent AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, researchers from Aurigene Oncology Ltd. presented the discovery and clinical characterization of novel macrocyclic KIF18A inhibitors. Read More
Pfizer Inc. has divulged gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Read More
Novartis AG has described peptide-drug conjugates comprising cyclic peptides targeting HER2 (erbB2) covalently linked to a radiolabeled metal chelator through a linker reported to be useful for diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Read More
During the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, scientists from Plexium Inc. presented the identification of a new class of potent, selective, cereblon (CRBN)-based molecular glue degraders of CDK2 using its proprietary monovalent degrader platform. Read More
This reoccurring series features new molecular entities (NMEs) revealed for the first time in current literature, at congresses and in company communications during the quarter. Click "read more" to see a list of past reports that are available to BioWorld Science and BioWorld Premuim subscribers. Read More
