Gilead Sciences Inc. has signed an agreement with Compugen Ltd. to exclusively license Compugen’s preclinical antibody program against IL-18 binding protein, including the COM-503 drug candidate. COM-503 is a high affinity antibody which blocks the interaction between IL-18 binding protein and IL-18, thereby inhibiting cancer growth.
Researchers from Hebei Medical University and affiliated organizations have discovered new folate receptor (FR)-targeted fluorescent probes for tumor detection.
Poolbeg Pharma plc has reported promising outputs from its lab-based analysis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) drug targets and treatments identified as part of the company’s artificial intelligence (AI)-led program.
Limmatech Biologics AG and Abvacc Inc. have entered into a license agreement that grants Limmatech the exclusive rights to further develop Abvacc’s multivalent toxoid vaccine candidate, LBT-SA7 (formerly IBT-V02), designed to prevent infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
It is known that CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy is useful in the treatment of large B-cell lymphoma, but about 60% of patients relapse after treatment, and about 30% of these are CD19-negative patients with poor survival. Sana Biotechnology Inc. is developing a hypoimmune CD22-directed CAR T-cell therapy, named SC-262, for the potential treatment of large B-cell lymphoma.
Researchers have used explainable artificial intelligence (explainable AI) to find structurally new antibiotics with minimal toxicity. They reported their findings online in Nature on Dec. 20, 2023. In animal testing, compounds identified via the method showed that they had activity against drug-resistant gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the most serious bacterial public health threats.
Sirnaomics Ltd.'s subsidiary Rnaimmune Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA to begin trials of RV-1770, an mRNA vaccine targeting the human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to prevent RSV infection in adults. Rnaimmune will conduct a phase I study of RV-1770 administered intramuscularly in healthy adults.
Hemispherian AS has been granted NOK16 million (US$1.54 million) by the Research Council of Norway, which the company intends to use to support development of its drug candidates aimed at treating platinum-resistant ovarian cancers.
Celgene Corp. has described heterocyclic protein-arginine deiminase type-4 (PADI4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of aging, autoimmune diseases, pain, asthma, inflammatory bowel diseases, AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, among others.
Samdolite Pharmaceuticals LLC has divulged prodrugs of cromoglicic acid reported to be useful for the treatment of inflammation and dermatological disorders.