Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. and Astellas Pharma Inc. have announced a research collaboration and license agreement for two novel bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019 and another program.

Matinas Biopharma Holdings Inc. has reported results from a series of in vivo studies demonstrating successful oral delivery of two lipid nanocrystal (LNC)-formulated small single-strand oligonucleotides that specifically target the key inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-17A in well-established and validated animal models that mimic acute inflammatory responses seen in human diseases.

Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. and Ctm Biotech Co. Ltd. have reported progress in the development of a trispecific T-cell engager for an intracellular target.

Modifying a patient’s DNA is no longer just for science fiction novels. The CRISPR gene editing technique developed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier only took 10 years to reach the market as Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel/exa-cel, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.), treating congenital pathologies such as β-thalassemia and severe sickle cell disease (SCD). But science does not stop.

Fauna Bio Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement with Eli Lilly and Co. to apply Fauna’s Convergence artificial intelligence (AI) platform to support preclinical drug discovery efforts in obesity.

Senti Biosciences Inc. has received clearance of its IND application from the FDA for SENTI-202, an off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapy product candidate designed to selectively target and eliminate CD33- and/or FLT3-expressing hematologic malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome, while sparing healthy bone marrow cells.

In their year-end list of top scientific achievements and the people who made them, both Science and Nature have included the fight against “the obesity epidemic.” Science named GLP-1 drugs as its Breakthrough of the Year, while Nature included Svetlana Mojsov in its 2023 list of the year’s most important investigators. Mojsov is research associate professor at The Rockefeller University and was an early contributor to understanding the metabolic role of GLP.