In the inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis, CD4+ T lymphocytes accumulate lipid droplets that make them vulnerable and promote their death, thereby amplifying joint inflammation. A study led by scientists at Mayo Clinic and Stanford University suggests that blocking the formation of these lipid droplets or their contents could offer a therapeutic strategy for this condition. Read More
A project that started as a bioreactor to assist astronauts in deep space to keep medications safe in a microgravity environment could help pharma companies model how drugs behave in the human body. Omnigeniq unveiled at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference the first computer model of a human protein as it exists in the body, confirming that native protein topology can be calculated directly from physics. Read More
Cue Biopharma Inc. has reported preclinical safety and tolerability data on CUE-401, the company’s lead asset for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. CUE-401 is designed to act mechanistically both as a regulator of pro-inflammatory mechanisms, and as a master switch for regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation to induce tolerance. Read More
Omeros Corp. has successfully completed its initial study in nonhuman primates evaluating the efficacy and safety of its Oncotox-AML cancer therapeutic platform for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Oncotox-AML is an engineered biologic designed to selectively kill both AML blasts and relapse-related leukemia stem cells. 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
Nektar Therapeutics Inc. has established an academic research collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to explore the role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) agonism in models of multiple sclerosis (MS) with the aim of supporting progression of NKTR-0165, Nektar’s first-in-class TNFR2 agonist antibody. Read More
Tyra Biosciences Inc. has disclosed new indazole compounds acting as fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer and developmental disorders. Read More
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase that regulates signaling pathways controlling cell survival and proliferation. Dysregulation of FGFR2, through amplification or activating mutations, contributes to tumor development, making it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in oncology. Read More
Gelmedix Inc. has completed a $13 million seed financing to support progression of the company’s lead program, GMX-101, a retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell therapy to treat late-stage geographic atrophy. Read More
The University of California has reported new azocino[4,5,6-cd]indoles acting as 5-HT2A receptor agonists and thus potentially useful for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Read More
Deeplake Pharmaceuticals (Shandong) Co. Ltd. has patented oxazolo- or thiazolo-indole compounds acting as xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase (XDH; XOR) and/or solute carrier family 22 member 12 (SLC22A12; URAT1) dual inhibitors. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia. Read More
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly compromising the effectiveness of essential antibiotics, resulting in higher global mortality and morbidity rates. Despite this urgent need, few new antibiotics, particularly against gram-negative bacteria, are in development. Read More
China Pharmaceutical University has prepared and tested sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase (SMPD1; aSMase) inhibitors potentially useful for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer’s disease, depression, diabetes, hepatic steatosis and stroke, among others. Read More
Shenzhen Targetrx Inc. has designed new proteolysis targeting chimeric (PROTACs) compounds comprising cereblon (CRBN) ligands covalently bonded to an EGFR L858R-, L858R/T790M double mutant- and L858R/T790M/C797S triple mutant-targeting moiety through a linker reported to useful for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Read More
Although physiological immune responses require increased tissue vasculature, many solid tumors simultaneously activate angiogenesis to meet the increasing demand for oxygen and nutrients while excluding immune cells. The exact molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells control this immune-refractory angiogenic process remain widely unclear. Read More
