Amylin is a hormone co-secreted with insulin in the pancreas that has anorexigenic effects, since it promotes satiety and reduces food intake. Amylin analogs and dual agonists of the amylin and calcitonin receptors have been developed for treating obesity. Astrazeneca plc reported results with their AMYR3 agonist AZD-6234.
Researchers from Circle Pharma Inc. have presented preclinical data for CID-078, a novel orally bioavailable cyclin A/B Rxl macrocycle being developed for the treatment of patients with lung cancer. CID-078 was developed as a macrocycle that binds to the hydrophobic patch of cyclins A and B and blocks RxL-dependent interactions of proteins, such as that of E2F1 with cyclin A-CDK2 and Myt1 with cyclin B-CDK1.
The increasing resistance to intravenous artemisinin therapy for malaria highlights the urgent need for new treatments that offer better patient compliance and a single-dose cure to address this global health threat. Novartis AG recently presented the discovery, development and evaluation of aminoisoquinolines as fast-acting intravenous therapeutic agents for severe malaria treatment.
Incretin therapies based on GLP-1 receptor agonism aid in the loss of weight in obesity, but a relevant part of this loss (25%-40%) is attributed to loss of lean muscle mass, which raises the risk of sarcopenia. Keros Therapeutics Inc. has presented data on RKER-065, a novel modified ActRII-Fc ligand trap that inhibits myostatin and activins and promotes muscle formation.
How do exercise and insulin collaborate in metabolism? The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation recognized the work of Juleen Zierath in this topic with the Diabetes Prize for Excellence at their recent annual meeting.
Scattered investor qualms about Nuvalent Inc.’s largely upbeat data during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in Barcelona didn’t stop the firm from pricing an upsized $500 million public offering. The Cambridge, Mass.-based firm is selling 5 million shares of class A common stock at $100 each. The offering is expected to close on Sept. 18, with underwriters holding a 30-day option to purchase up to 750,000 more shares.
As Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. go head-to-head in the U.S. and Chinese glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) market for diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk is in innovator gear once more with leading studies of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite heightened political tensions, both Chinese and U.S. industry officials are working to strengthen ties in the health care and biotech sector, including launching strategic initiatives to foster Sino-U.S. biotech investment and M&A deals. As one of the initiatives, representatives from Hong Kong, China and the U.S. convened at the Bio Hong Kong 2024 conference to launch a global health care M&A and financial investment alliance, along with fostering company and talent growth in Hong Kong.
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong is “all ears” to foster local biotech IPOs, speakers said at the Bio Hong Kong 2024 conference Sept. 11, and more than 60 companies have jumped on board since the introduction of the Chapter 18A listing regime in 2018.
Immvira Group Co.’s oncolytic herpes simplex virus product, MVR-T3011, showed early efficacy via intravesical administration in patients with high-risk BCG-failure non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.