The variety of organoids that can be developed in vitro is enabling major advances. Depending on the type of tissues and the research goals, these small 3D cell-based structures that mimic real tissue offer certain advantages over animal models. Scientists at the University of Padova in Italy have created human neuromuscular organoids to reproduce cancer-induced muscle cachexia, a condition that murine models do not accurately replicate. Read More
Although activation of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) provides potent analgesia and remains central to pain management, its agonists are associated with adverse effects such as respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence and pruritus. Bifunctional μ-/κ-opioid receptor (MOR/KOR) agonists aim to retain MOR-driven analgesia while leveraging the antipruritic and complementary analgesic effects of KOR activation to improve overall therapeutic tolerability. Read More
Teijin Pharma Ltd. has entered into a joint research agreement with Aska Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to jointly develop novel small-molecule drug candidates for gynecological diseases. Read More
Beactica Therapeutics AB, together with researchers at KU Leuven, has been awarded a €2.5 million (US$3.0 million) grant by the European Innovation Council (EIC) to advance BEA-17, a precision immune therapy for glioblastoma. Read More
A quarterly dynamic table featuring new molecular entities (NMEs) revealed for the first time in current literature, at congresses and in company communications during the quarter. Read More
Alchemedicine Inc. and Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp. have entered into an exclusive license agreement on lead HiSAP (high solubility and permeability) compounds owned by Alchemedicine. Read More
The Institut National De La Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Bordeaux and Université de Paris Cité have synthesized N-phenyl-quinoline-4-carboxamide compounds acting as furin (PACE; PCSK3) inhibitors. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for high number of new diagnoses each year. Current management is based on surgery followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, where treatment-induced fibrosis is a common complication associated with therapy. Since fibrosis is mostly driven by dysregulation of the Rho-ROCK signaling axis, researchers from Australia have investigated the potential of modulating ROCK2 with the small-molecule inhibitor RX-10616 for its potential antifibrotic effect combined with radiotherapy in patient-derived murine models of HNSCC. Read More
Nanjing Anji Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has patented micropeptides regulating cholesterol metabolism and thus reported to be useful for the treatment of obesity, atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, liver fibrosis, liver cancer and coronary heart disease, among others. Read More
Current therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) alleviate symptoms, but do not deal with disease progression. Respiratory mucus is primarily made up of mucins, of which mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) is the most predominant in COPD. It was hypothesized that mitochondria may control the expression of MUC5AC in COPD airway epithelium by modulating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Read More
Merna Therapeutics Inc. has discovered polypeptides targeting sortilin (neurotensin NTR3; NT3; Gp95) receptor. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Ascentage Pharma Group Corp. Ltd. and Ascentage Pharma (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. have disclosed proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising E3 ubiquitin ligase-binding moiety covalently linked to a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK)-targeting moiety. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Hunter syndrome, also called mucopolysaccharidosis II, is an X-linked genetic lysosomal disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the IDS gene, encoding iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S). I2S is a lysosomal enzyme responsible for the cleavage of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and its deficiency results in accumulation of GAGs leading to a multisystemic disorder. Read More
