New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for drug development are transforming biomedical research by replacing or complementing animal models. More than 90% of experimental compounds fail in clinical trials, underscoring the need for strategies that better capture human biology. Many of these techniques were showcased at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting. Read More
DNA polymerase θ (POLθ) plays a central role in microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), an error-prone DSB repair pathway. Under normal conditions, MMEJ acts as a backup repair mechanism. However, in HRR-deficient tumors, reliance on POLlθ-driven MMEJ is markedly increased, making POLθ essential for cancer cell survival. Researchers from Astrazeneca plc reported the discovery and characterization of AZD-4956, a POLθ inhibitor that can be used in combination with PARP inhibitors and other DNA-damaging agents. Read More
More effective treatments are needed for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a heterogeneous group of myeloid disorders that frequently progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In a recent publication, Debiopharm SA and The Ohio State University demonstrate that MDS cells express CD37 and that both AML and MDS cells exhibit efficient internalization of this receptor. Debio-1562M, under development at Debiopharm, is a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD37. Read More
At the recently concluded meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Synendos Therapeutics AG reported preclinical data from the pharmacological characterization of SYT-510, which is the first selective endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitor (SERI) to enter the clinic for the potential treatment of disorders affecting the CNS, such as anxiety or movement disorders. A new class of endocannabinoid system (ECS) modulators, SERIs potently and selectively inhibit endocannabinoid reuptake to help the ECS restore normal brain function under disease conditions. Read More
Incyte Corp. has developed and presented data for their CD70xCD3 bispecific antibody INCA-036873, which was designed to activate T cells and kill tumoral cells expressing CD70. Read More
Avacta Life Sciences Ltd. has disclosed drug conjugates consisting of a fibroblast activation protein-α (FAPα) cleavable moiety bonded to camptothecin derivatives through a linker that are potentially useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and fibrosis. Read More
Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co. Ltd. has synthesized antibody-drug conjugates comprising antibody or antigen-binding fragment targeting disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 9 (ADAM9) covalently linked to a cytotoxic drug. They are described as potentially useful for the diagnosis and/or treatment of cancer. Read More
Researchers from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and collaborators reported the preclinical efficacy profile of mosperafenib (RO-7276389), a next-generation BRAF inhibitor designed as an MAPK paradox breaker. The compound selectively inhibits oncogenic RAF signaling while avoiding RAF dimer-driven ERK activation, thereby overcoming a key mechanistic limitation of first-generation BRAF inhibitors. Read More
Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Industry Development Co. Ltd. has patented Myt1 kinase (PKMYT1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Chengdu Mfs Pharma Co. Ltd. has prepared and tested compounds for the potential treatment of pain, sleep disorder and status epilepticus epilepsy as well as for use as an anesthetic. Read More
The major histocompatibility complex class I polypeptide-related sequences A and B (MICA/B) are frequently expressed by cancer cells. In a recently published study, researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hypothesized that the therapeutic efficacy of anti-MICA/B antibodies could be enhanced through Fc optimization with three point mutations in the Fc region: G236A, A330L and I332E (GAALIE). Read More
