Current therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can effectively suppress viral replication but do not achieve a functional or complete cure. Capsid assembly modulators inhibit the assembly of viral capsids, prevent the encapsidation of pregenomic RNA, and interfere with both the formation and amplification of covalently closed circular DNA, which is essential for viral persistence.
Shionogi & Co. said it plans to acquire Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) subsidiaries Torii Pharmaceutical Co. and Akros Pharma Inc. for ¥160 billion (US$1.1 billion) to expand its global R&D business. The two companies have been negotiating since early 2024, and the deal is structured such that a tender offer will begin on May 8 and end on June 18 with an offer price of ¥6,350 per share to buy at least 11.89% of the minority stake, JT told BioWorld.
The Research Foundation of State University of New York and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have jointly developed prazole-based compounds acting as H+/K+-ATPase inhibitors and thus reported to be useful for the treatment of viral infections.
Arrepath Inc. has patented new UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine hydrolase (LpxH) (bacterial) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections.
Shionogi & Co. said it plans to acquire Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) subsidiaries Torii Pharmaceutical Co. and Akros Pharma Inc. for ¥160 billion (US$1.1 billion) to expand its global R&D business. The two companies have been negotiating since early 2024, and the deal is structured such that a tender offer will begin on May 8 and end on June 18 with an offer price of ¥6,350 per share to buy at least 11.89% of the minority stake, JT told BioWorld.
Malaria continues to exact heavy financial and socioeconomic burdens in several parts of the world, with 249 million cases and more than 630,000 deaths reported in 2022. Two-thirds of malaria-related deaths occur among children younger than 5 years.
Gilead Sciences Inc. has divulged bridged tricyclic carbamoylpyridone prodrugs acting as HIV integrase inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of HIV infection.
Researchers from the Access to Advanced Health Institute and collaborating institutions have developed a promising new bivalent vaccine candidate that can protect against both yellow fever and Zika viruses. The study demonstrates that the vaccine elicits robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice and hamsters and provides complete protection against lethal viral challenges.
Deepull Diagnostics SL raised €50 million (US$56.93 million) in an oversubscribed series C financing round to complete clinical validation studies of its UllCORE diagnostic system for direct-from-blood rapid pathogen detection.