MedPath

Tagged News

Fujifilm Validates Novel Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates for Targeted Cancer Cell Delivery

OncologyDrug Discovery
  • Fujifilm has successfully validated peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates that selectively target cancer cells, utilizing cyclic peptides from their proprietary library containing trillions of variants.
  • The company developed a cyclic peptide that binds strongly to integrins overexpressed on cancer cell surfaces with a low dissociation constant of 1.6 nM, enabling higher cellular uptake compared to non-conjugated oligonucleotides.
  • This breakthrough addresses delivery challenges in oligonucleotide-based therapies and will be presented at TIDES USA 2025 in San Diego, highlighting Fujifilm's expansion of global drug discovery services for peptide therapeutics.

Regeneron to Acquire 23andMe for $256 Million, Expanding Genetics-Driven Drug Discovery Capabilities

Drug DiscoveryPrecision MedicineDrug Discovery
  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has won the bankruptcy auction for 23andMe's assets with a $256 million bid, aiming to maintain the consumer genetics service while enhancing its drug discovery platform.
  • The acquisition includes 23andMe's Personal Genome Service, Total Health, Research Services, and Biobank assets, but excludes the Lemonaid Health business.
  • Regeneron has committed to prioritizing privacy and ethical use of customer data, working with a court-appointed Customer Privacy Ombudsman to ensure compliance with existing policies.

BlueSphere Bio Appoints Immunotherapy Pioneer Alan Korman as Chief Scientific Officer

Drug DiscoveryOncology
  • BlueSphere Bio has appointed Alan Korman, Ph.D., a veteran immunotherapy researcher with over 30 years of experience, as Chief Scientific Officer to advance its T cell-based therapy pipeline.
  • Dr. Korman, who has served on BlueSphere's board since 2020, previously led groundbreaking immune checkpoint inhibitor research at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex, directing the preclinical development of Yervoy and Opdivo.
  • The appointment strengthens BlueSphere's clinical programs, which include BSB-1001 for leukemias and the upcoming TCX-102 program targeting mutant NPM-1 in AML, with an IND expected in Q2 2025.

Rakovina Therapeutics Secures $4M Strategic Financing to Advance AI-Powered Cancer Drug Discovery Platform

AIDrug DiscoveryOncology
  • Rakovina Therapeutics announced a strategic $4 million financing round anchored by $3 million from strategic investors to support its AI-powered oncology drug discovery platform.
  • The company will implement a 10-for-1 share consolidation to enhance its capital structure and position for accelerated growth in U.S. capital markets.
  • The financing will support Rakovina's proprietary DNA Damage Response platform targeting treatment-resistant cancers with impaired DNA repair pathways.
  • The company aims to advance its pipeline of DNA-damage response inhibitors toward human clinical trials through pharmaceutical partnerships.

Medicines Discovery Catapult Expands Strategic Partnerships to Accelerate UK Drug Discovery Innovation

Drug DiscoveryPrecision Medicine
  • Medicines Discovery Catapult has formed two major strategic partnerships with the Francis Crick Institute and University of Exeter to accelerate drug discovery and translational research across the UK.
  • The partnership with the Francis Crick Institute will support KQ Labs, a national accelerator that has helped 70 start-ups raise over £219 million in investment since 2018.
  • The University of Exeter collaboration aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial drug development by providing industry-standard validation and translational support.
  • These partnerships represent a new blueprint for academic-industry collaboration designed to maximize the impact of UK biomedical research and enhance the nation's life sciences ecosystem.

Pluto Bio Secures $3.6M to Expand AI-Powered Platform for Drug Discovery

Precision MedicineAIDrug Discovery
• Pluto Bio has raised $3.6 million in new funding led by Kickstart, with participation from existing investor Silverton Partners, to scale its AI-powered computational biology platform.
• The platform enables scientists to analyze complex biological datasets without coding, supporting critical drug discovery processes including target identification, mechanism of action studies, and precision medicine research.
• Funding will accelerate development of AI agents and copilots, expand integrations with R&D tools, and support commercial growth across therapeutic areas.

Moderna Partners with IBM to Advance mRNA Drug Discovery Through Quantum Computing and AI

AIDrug Discovery
  • Moderna has formed a strategic partnership with IBM to leverage quantum computing and generative artificial intelligence for advancing mRNA medicine discovery and development.
  • The collaboration aims to deepen understanding of mRNA molecular behavior, refine molecular structures, and improve lipid nanoparticle delivery systems used in mRNA therapeutics.
  • Moderna joins a growing group of pharmaceutical companies including Biogen and Bayer that are embracing quantum computing technologies to accelerate drug discovery processes.
  • The partnership positions Moderna to harness quantum computing's potential to investigate larger molecules and solve previously intractable problems in mRNA research.

WEHI-3773 Small Molecule Shows Promise for Blocking Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Drug Discovery
  • Researchers at WEHI have identified WEHI-3773, a small molecule that can selectively block cell death by targeting the BAX protein and preventing its recruitment to mitochondria.
  • The compound works by inhibiting the interaction between voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) and BAX, offering a novel approach to prevent neuronal death in conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
  • Published in Science Advances, this discovery represents a potential breakthrough for developing disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative conditions that currently have no cure or progression-slowing therapies.
  • The research builds on decades of cell death research at WEHI and utilized high-throughput screening of over 100,000 chemical compounds through the National Drug Discovery Centre.

Insilico Medicine Secures $123 Million Series E Funding to Advance AI-Driven Drug Discovery Pipeline

AIDrug Discovery
  • Insilico Medicine closed an oversubscribed Series E financing round totaling $123 million, led by Value Partners Group, to advance its AI-driven drug discovery platform and clinical pipeline.
  • The company has built a pipeline of over 30 assets with 10 receiving IND clearance, including rentosertib for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis currently in Phase 2a trials.
  • Insilico filed for its third Hong Kong IPO attempt in 2025, following previous filings in September 2024, amid growing investor interest in AI biotech companies.
  • The funding will support clinical validation of AI-driven drug programs and further development of the company's Pharma.AI platform and automated laboratory capabilities.

MedPath

Empowering clinical research with data-driven insights and AI-powered tools.

© 2025 MedPath, Inc. All rights reserved.