Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Dragonfly Therapeutics, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Kura Oncology, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Tonix Pharmaceuticals.
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Bioaegis Therapeutics, Evaxion Biotech, Jubilant Therapeutics, Sana Biotechnology.
Research at Pardes Biosciences Inc. has led to the identification of cysteine protease inhibitors, particularly 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro, Mpro, nsp5; SARS-CoV-2) and Mpro (HCoV-229E virus) inhibitors, reported to be useful for the treatment of viral infections.
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Alpha Cancer Technologies, Hillstream Biopharma, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding.
A live-attenuated vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can be administered through the nose, has shown promise in preclinical animal studies carried out by researchers in Berlin. In an article published April 3, 2023, in Nature Microbiology, the authors reported that the COVID-19 vaccine candidate – sCPD9 – triggered the most robust immune response in a hamster model when compared with Biontech/Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 and Ad2-Spike.
COVID-19 complications involve activated T cells that contribute to inflammation. Foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, targets the T-cell receptor and regulates T-cell function to suppress inflammation. In a pilot trial, foralumab reduced lung inflammation, serum IL-6 and C-reactive protein in cases of moderate COVID-19.
UT-Battelle LLC has divulged covalent nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3; PLpro) (SARS-CoV) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome.