Researchers from Stanford University have reported that inhibiting the enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) promoted cartilage regeneration in mouse models of osteoarthritis due to either aging or tissue injury. An oral version of the inhibitor that the team used is in a clinical trial for sarcopenia; it improved muscle mass and strength in preclinical studies. However, the mechanism by which 15-PDGH inhibition works appears to differ in the two conditions. Read More
Researchers from the Medical School of Nanjing University hypothesized that in ulcerative colitis, the gut-resident macrophages may be compromised, leading to impaired integrity of the epithelial barrier. “From a basic science standpoint, our work uncovers a novel etiology of ulcerative colitis. From a translational perspective, it identifies a promising therapeutic target, potentially paving the way for developing effective drugs to treat or even cure the disease,” senior author Minsheng Zhu told BioWorld. Read More
Kedrion SpA’s investigational plasma-derived treatment for congenital aceruloplasminemia has been awarded European orphan drug designation by the EMA. The company is working to advance this treatment toward clinical development in Europe. Read More
Vivace Therapeutics Inc. reported preclinical efficacy data of VT-3989, a TEAD inhibitor, in in vitro and in vivo models of aggressive meningioma. VT-3989 is in early clinical development for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors. Read More
M-3554 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting GD2; it has shown strong antitumor activity in neuroblastoma xenograft models and has been engineered to reduce anti-GD2 antibody-associated pain. Read More
Kymera Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular disorders, viral infections, neurodegeneration, and autoimmune, metabolic and liver diseases, among others. Read More
Raqualia Pharma Inc.’s Fimecs Inc. subsidiary has agreed with Astellas Pharma Inc. to add two new targets under their ongoing joint research. They entered into an agreement in 2022 to conduct joint research on targeted protein degradation. Read More
Eli Lilly & Co. has synthesized relaxin receptor 1 (RXFP1; LGR7) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy and cardiovascular disorders, among others. Read More
Researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute Inc. and Stanford University have identified RAF proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase (RAF1; cRaf) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Inhibiting transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) may mitigate injury arising from ischemic stroke. Researchers at Zhejiang University and its medical school previously reported a small-molecule inhibitor of TRPM2, which also inhibited the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel, implying high risk of cardiotoxicity. Read More
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG has described cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (MB21D1; cGAS) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of autoinflammatory interferonopathy, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cirrhosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), interstitial lung diseases, systemic scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and systemic lupus erythematosus. Read More
Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive cancer types, with survival rates being very low and current treatment being quite ineffective. To address this unmet medical need, HCW Biologics Inc. has developed and presented preclinical data for their T-cell engager approach – HCW11-018. Read More
