Vaccine produces DIY Xolair-like antibody, protects against anaphylaxis
Researchers at the Institut Pasteur have developed a vaccine that spurred the production of autoantibodies to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, protecting vaccinated mice from anaphylaxis. In their paper, which they published in Science Translational Medicine on Dec. 3, 2025, the authors noted that the polyclonal antibodies generated by their vaccine lasted “for up to 12 months postvaccination with a similar avidity as the approved anti-IgE mAb omalizumab [Xolair, Roche AG].”

Vaccine produces DIY Xolair-like antibody, protects against anaphylaxis
Researchers at the Institut Pasteur have developed a vaccine that spurred the production of autoantibodies to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, protecting vaccinated mice from anaphylaxis. In their paper, which they published in Science Translational Medicine on Dec. 3, 2025, the authors noted that the polyclonal antibodies generated by their vaccine lasted “for up to 12 months postvaccination with a similar avidity as the approved anti-IgE mAb omalizumab [Xolair, Roche AG].”
GSK goes away, Ideaya synthetic lethality bids in-house again
GSK plc said in paperwork filed with the U.S. SEC that the potentially whopping deal inked in the summer of 2020 with Ideaya Biosciences Inc. has gone down the tubes. The two firms were collaborating on three of Ideaya’s synthetic lethality programs, MAT2A (methionine adenosyltransferase 2a), Pol Theta (polymerase theta) and Werner Helicase.
Relation and Novartis collaborate in atopic diseases
The collaboration brings together Relation’s AI-powered drug discovery platform and human data generation capabilities with Novartis’s expertise in immuno-dermatology to identify, validate and advance potential first-in-class targets in atopic diseases driven by immune dysregulation.
Agora Open Science Trust announces candidate nomination for DIPG
Agora Open Science Trust’s wholly owned open science drug development company, M4K Pharma, has nominated M4K-2009 as the lead development candidate for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The ALK2 inhibitor program is now advancing into IND-enabling studies for this pediatric brain cancer.
Holiday notice
In accordance with the publishing schedule, BioWorld Science was not published on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug may also be effective against Nipah virus
The RNA-based Nipah virus, which causes acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, can be transmitted from fruit bats to humans directly or indirectly via pigs or horses. Researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and collaborators wondered whether their oral nucleoside prodrug VV-116, recently licensed against human coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 in China, would be effective against Nipah virus.
US scientists patent new ENPP1 and ENPP3 inhibitors
Arc Research Institute and Stanford University have disclosed ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 1 (ENPP1) and/or ENPP3 inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Aleksia Therapeutics divulges new CDK4 inhibitors
Aleksia Therapeutics Inc. has synthesized cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of breast cancer.

Conferences

AVA-NP-695 shows activity in refractory and rare cancers
Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
The overexpression of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) is tied to poor prognosis in several cancer types, including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma, and is therefore a potential therapeutic target in these cancers. In this regard, Avammune Therapeutics Inc. is developing an...
CR-001, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody with potent activity
Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Researchers from Crescent Biopharma Inc. and Paragon Therapeutics Inc. presented the preclinical development of CR-001.
CTAD 2025: The challenges of combination therapies for dementia
Neurology/psychiatric
At the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease 2025 meeting, a panel of experts discussed the need for developing combination therapies for the complex diseases that result in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
ABT-863 shows in vivo efficacy without Treg depletion
Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Abilita Therapeutics Inc. has developed a novel approach targeting CCR8 – ABT-863 – that works as a potent inverse agonist to block CCL1-dependent and basal receptor signaling.

Cancer

Romidepsin offers hope for high-risk neuroblastoma
Science
Australian researchers have found a drug combination that can bypass the cellular defenses in neuroblastoma that lead to relapse, and the discovery could lead to better treatment strategies for children whose cancers have stopped responding to standard chemotherapy.

Infection

Zhimeng Biopharma describes new compounds to treat HBV infection
Patents
Zhimeng Biopharma has identified compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection.

HIV remission after heterozygous CCR5Δ32 stem cell transplant
Science
2025 has been the most challenging year in the efforts to fight HIV since at least the advent of antiretroviral therapy. In a report on “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” released last week ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS...
Aerolysin-producing Aeromonas is behind ulcerative colitis
Gastrointestinal
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....

Neurology/psychiatric

Research grants support early clinical trials of ALS treatments
Financings
The ALS Association has announced the recipients of its 2025 Hoffman ALS Clinical Trial Awards. These research grants, worth up to $1 million each, support early-phase trials that generate critical data to accelerate the development of new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatments.
ARV-102 targets LRRK2 to prevent neurodegeneration
Conferences
LRRK2 plays a key role in the biology of multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), where mutations or altered activity are associated with impaired cellular signaling and neuronal decline.
Arrakis reports preclinical progress of rSM program to treat DM1
Arrakis Therapeutics Inc. has announced the presentation of preclinical data demonstrating the progress of its RNA-targeted small molecule (rSM) drug program for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).
Lynk’s allosteric TYK2 inhibitor LNK-01006 gains IND clearance
Regulatory
Lynk Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has received IND clearance from the FDA for LNK-01006, an allosteric TYK2 inhibitor with potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Vectory’s VTX-002 gains IND clearance for ALS
Regulatory
Vectory Therapeutics BV has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for a phase I/II trial (PIONEER-ALS) of VTX-002, a first-in-class vectorized antibody targeting TDP-43 pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). VTX-002 delivers an engineered antibody designed to selectively target toxic...

Endocrine/metabolic

FDA approves IND for CSPC’s SYH-2069 for obesity
Regulatory
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA to conduct clinical trials in the U.S. with SYH-2069 for weight management in individuals with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Biomarkers

Mesothelin is biomarker, potential target in arthritic bone damage
Musculoskeletal
In a recent study published in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers from the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Xi’an Jiao Tong University Health Science Center found that Mesothelin (MSLN) was significantly elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

UK Biobank delivers largest metabolomics dataset of 500K profiles
Science
It’s the biological resource that keeps on giving, and now UK Biobank has released the final tranche of data on the levels of 249 metabolites in the blood of its half a million participants.
‘Most complete’ map of oral microbiome enables links to systemic disease
Science
South Korean researchers led by Lee In-suk of Yonsei University have reported the most complete oral microbiome catalog to date, with more than 72,000 genomes. Detailed in Cell Host & Microbe on Nov. 12, 2025, the database is expected to serve as a universal platform for academia and enable...

Gastrointestinal

Tangram seeks clinical trial clearance for TGM-312 for MASH
Regulatory
Tangram Therapeutics plc has submitted a clinical trial application (CTA) to the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate a phase I/II trial of TGM-312 for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Opko’s OPK-88006 shows hepatoprotection in MASH
Conferences
Opko Health Inc. has recently presented data for their GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonist OPK-88006, which is in preclinical development for the treatment of metabolic disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)...
UK study reveals inconsistencies in global microbiome research
Regulatory
The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is calling for unified standards to harmonize microbiome research, after revealing major inconsistencies in the results when labs around the world analyzed identical reference samples of...
Samjin Pharmaceutical patents new compounds for MASH
Patents
Samjin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has disclosed inhibitors of 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13; 17-β-HSD 13) and/or estradiol 17-β-dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17B1; 17β-HSD1) and/or HSD17B2 (17β-HSD2). As such, they are believed to be...
Imhotex patents new NOD2 activators for Crohn’s disease
Patents
Imhotex Ltd. has disclosed desmuramylpeptide (DMP) analogues of muramyl dipeptide (MDP) acting as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) activators reported to be useful for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.
Numab and Kaken sign agreement for NM-81 for IBD
Collaboration
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).

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