Based on its analysis of a large cohort of individuals homozygous for the ε4 variant of apolipoprotein E (APOE4), a multinational team of researchers is arguing that homozygosity for APOE4 should be considered a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease. However, not everyone agrees that the findings warrant reclassifying APOE from risk factor to causal gene. Currently, APOE4 is classified as the strongest risk factor for developing AD. Another variant, the APOE2 variant, is protective, while APOE3 is neutral.
Based on its analysis of a large cohort of individuals homozygous for the ε4 variant of apolipoprotein E (APOE4), a multinational team of researchers is arguing that homozygosity for APOE4 should be considered a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease. However, not everyone agrees that the findings warrant reclassifying APOE from risk factor to causal gene. Currently, APOE4 is classified as the strongest risk factor for developing AD. Another variant, the APOE2 variant, is protective, while APOE3 is neutral.
Vyne Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA allowing it to initiate a first-in-human phase Ia study of VYN-202, an oral small-molecule BD2-selective BET inhibitor for autoimmune diseases.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis, in part due to the immunosuppression surrounding the tumor mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs), thus preventing effective responses to immune therapy.
The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a part of the Unitedhealth Group, crippled reimbursement claims processing for thousands of providers for several weeks and potentially exposed troves of patient data. Congressional committees are investigating the attack, its scope, and Unitedhealth’s response. Are there downstream impacts that are being overlooked in the biopharmaceutical and/or medical technology sectors? Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey to help BioWorld understand how your company is responding to these threats. You can click through to the questions here.
Eisbach Bio GmbH has announced FDA clearance of its IND application for EIS-12656, a first-in-class orally bioavailable and blood-brain barrier-penetrant allosteric inhibitor of ALC1 (CHD1L), a key molecular machine in DNA repair. Enrollment will open in the second quarter in a phase I/II trial in patients with genetically defined advanced solid tumors, including patients progressing under PARP inhibitor treatment.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in immune response regulation in autoimmune disease such as autoimmune hepatitis. Researchers investigated whether Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is present in marijuana, could prevent the development of autoimmune hepatitis in treated mice by altering miRNA expression.
Lantern Pharma Inc. has entered into a strategic artificial intelligence (AI)-driven collaboration with Oregon Therapeutics SAS to optimize the development of Oregon’s first-in-class protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) inhibitor drug candidate XCE-853 in novel and targeted cancer indications.
Researchers from Peptidream Inc. presented preclinical characterization of novel carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX)-targeting radiopeptides, [64Cu]PD-32766 and [177Lu]PD-32766, being developed for the diagnosis and treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), respectively.
There is a compelling need to produce new antibiotics that hamper severe opportunistic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals, such as those caused by gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Amicetin-inspired inhibitors of the P-site (AIIPS), also known as CZ-02s, are a series of molecules that target and inhibit a unique site of the bacterial ribosome.
Schepens Eye Research Institute presented new preclinical data on its AAV2.sFasL gene therapy, an adeno-associated virus (AVV2) encoding soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) for the potential prevention of glaucoma.
“A white space opportunity.” That’s how Enlaza Therapeutics Inc. co-founder and CEO Sergio Duron described to BioWorld the company’s efforts to develop the first covalent biologics, an endeavor that has gained the backing of an impressive group of investors in a recently closed $100 million series...
Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the leading tick-borne infection. Between 10% and 35% of patients show post-antibiotic treatment Lyme disease syndrome, with symptoms including fatigue, cognitive issues, memory loss, neuropathy, joint pain, musculoskeletal pain, sleep...
There is still a need for developing more potent and broadly neutralizing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 with improved durability. At the recent ESCMID meeting, Astrazeneca plc presented a new mRNA vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that encodes for self-assembling virus-like particle (VLP) antigens.
Novel HIV-1 vaccine strategies should elicit potent and broad immunity against the viral envelope (Env) glycoprotein. Particle presentation of Env has shown promise in animal studies, but has several problems that limit their clinical application.
Irlab Therapeutics AB has obtained clearance from the Swedish Medical Products Agency to initiate a phase I study of IRL-757, which is being developed as a treatment to counteract apathy in Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.
Latus Bio Inc. has launched with a focus on developing novel gene therapy candidates for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. An initial close of $54 million in series A financing will support the company.
Jiangsu Chia Tai Fenghai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has developed a new small-molecule oral compound for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, FHND-1002, which demonstrated neuronal protection in models of neurodegenerative diseases and neuron trauma.
Jiangsu Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Hansoh Biomedical Co. Ltd. have described potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily KQT member 2/3 (KCNQ2/3) activators potentially useful for the treatment of epilepsy and depression.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne disease that results from an infection with the SFTS virus, with a case fatality rate of 6.1% to 21.8%. Identifying critically ill patients at the early stages is crucial for clinical management.
About 25% of subjects with West Nile virus (WNV) infection develop fever and about 1% have neuroinvasive disease. Recent research has proposed measuring CD169 in peripheral blood (monocyte/lymphocyte ratio) as a marker of viral infections. The usefulness of monocyte CD169 (mCD169) in peripheral...
Lung cancer is still among the deadliest cancers worldwide, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung accounting for about 30% of the cases. When the cancer metastasizes to the lymph nodes, the patient has a worse overall survival.
Virginia Commonwealth University has identified cholestenoic acid derivatives reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, sepsis, atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD; metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver...
Synedgen Inc. has completed IND-enabling studies for its lead candidate, MIIST-305, which is being developed for ulcerative colitis and as a medical countermeasure for gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome. Within a year, Synedgen plans to...
Ochre Bio Ltd. has established a partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG focused on the discovery and development of novel first-in-class regenerative treatments for chronic liver diseases, such as late-stage metabolic...
New York University has described protein spinster homolog 2 (SPNS2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of acute lung injury, autoimmune disease, colitis, Alzheimer’s disease, fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple...
Palisade Bio Inc. has completed its analysis evaluating ex vivo bioactivation of PALI-2108, an orally administered, locally acting colon-specific phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor prodrug in development for ulcerative colitis.
Scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and affiliated organizations have discovered novel GPR183 antagonists as potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). With the aim of improving the...
Breakthrough medicines, billion-dollar deals, spectacular clinical successes and crushing failures all play a part in biopharma’s dynamic story. Developers make scientific advancements with the potential to change everything, only to face regulatory conundrums and ever-fluctuating markets. BioWorld tracks key events in the fast-moving sector every business day. Now, the BioWorld Insider podcast lets you hear directly from the movers and shakers whose collective work is changing how we all live. Join us each week for a new conversation.