Esculetin, also known as 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin, is a coumarin-derived phytochemical that has shown effects against ischemic stroke. Additionally, chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1) has been revealed in previous findings to be a target for stroke when using coumarin-derived compounds. The effects of esculetin and the potential involvement of CKLF1 were tested in photothrombotic stroke in mice.
Piplartine, also called piperlongumine, had protective effects against hearing loss induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics in zebrafish and mouse models of kanamycin-induced hair cell loss. Kanamycin is a member of the aminoglycosides, a group of antibiotics that have broad-spectrum activity against gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains.
Executives of ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc. are anticipating a quick switch for severe allergy patients following the U.S. FDA approval of Neffy (epinephrine nasal spray 2 mg), marking the first needle-free treatment option.
Speculation about potentially wider meaning among developers of psychedelic drugs was reignited after the complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. FDA to Lykos Therapeutics Inc. for midomafetaminecapsules, which the company wants to use in combination with psychological intervention to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CEO Amy Emerson called the FDA move “deeply disappointing,” adding that San Jose, Calif.-based Lykos plans to request a meeting with the FDA to ask for reconsideration.
Halda Therapeutics Inc. announced it has secured an additional $126 million in funding in a series B extension, bringing its total funding to date to $202 million. The company expects its lead molecule HLD-0915 to enter a phase I trial in the first half of 2025 for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).
Concerns of lower-than-expected efficacy, which prompted AN2 Therapeutics Inc. to pause enrollment in the phase III portion of the phase II/III trial earlier this year, turned out to be well-founded, as top-line data proved disappointing for epetraborole in treatment-refractory Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease. As a result, the company is dropping the program and restructuring.
Aldeyra Therapeutics Inc. has bounced back from a complete response letter in November to produce positive phase III data for reproxalap in treating dry eye disease. The company is one of many developing treatments using diverse mechanisms of action.
Researchers from Alzecure Pharma AB presented preclinical data for ACD-137, a negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), being developed for the treatment of pain.
Researchers from Contineum Therapeutics Inc. have presented preclinical data for the novel brain penetrant lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1) antagonist, PIPE-791, being evaluated in models of neuropathic pain.
Novo Nordisk A/S presented a mixed bag of R&D results for its cardiometabolic assets in the first half of 2024 as it axed three drug candidates but advanced one to a late-stage study. In the search for greener pastures beyond a crowding obesity market, Novo announced Aug. 7 that it advanced ziltivekimab into a phase III study to assess the subcutaneous therapy’s cardiovascular outcomes in acute myocardial infarction patients.