Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and affiliated organizations discovered a new ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) inhibitor, YCH-2823, being developed as a potential anticancer agent.

In one of the biggest startups ever, Xaira Therapeutics has launched with more than $1 billion from investors. The financing, according to BioWorld records, is roughly equivalent to Roivant Sciences Inc.’s $1.1 billion raise in August 2017 and Galderma Inc.’s $1 billion private placement in June 2023. Xaira said it plans to leverage advanced machine learning research and expansive data generation to power new models for developing new therapeutics.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has entered into a drug discovery collaboration agreement with Prism Biolab Co. Ltd. to generate novel oncology drug candidates.

Pain treatment, especially non-addictive treatment for severe pain, remains a critical unmet need. Among the TRP channels, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 3 (TRMP3) is a channel expressed in somatosensory neurons, including nociceptors of rodents and humans.

Newco Outrun Therapeutics Ltd. has raised $10 million in a seed round to develop small-molecule E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitors that prevent programmed protein degradation. The lead program targeting an E3 ligase that tags a tumor suppressor protein for destruction will now advance to preclinical development.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG and Sosei Group Corp. have entered a global collaboration and exclusive option-to-license agreement in schizophrenia.

The Department of Defense (DoD) office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) has awarded funding to Biosplice Therapeutics Inc.’s collaboration with The Roskamp Institute aimed at developing novel therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI).