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Northstrive Biosciences Advances AI-Powered Drug Discovery for Obesity and Cardiac Diseases

AIDrug Discovery
  • Northstrive Biosciences has initiated Phase II of its collaboration with Yuva Biosciences to develop AI-powered therapies targeting mitochondrial health in obesity and cardiac diseases.
  • The partnership leverages MitoNova™, YuvaBio's proprietary AI platform, to screen large-scale libraries of small molecules and identify candidates that promote mitochondrial health.
  • The collaboration aims to compile synthetic compounds for muscle preservation and metabolic health, addressing the root cause of aging and related conditions at the cellular level.
  • Northstrive's lead asset EL-22 uses an engineered probiotic approach to preserve muscle mass during weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies.

AI-Discovered Drug Rentosertib Shows Promising Phase IIa Results for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

AIDrug Discovery
  • Insilico Medicine's Rentosertib, the first drug with both target and compound identified through generative AI, demonstrated significant lung function improvement in Phase IIa trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients.
  • Patients receiving 60 mg daily of Rentosertib showed a mean improvement of +98.4 mL in forced vital capacity compared to a -20.3 mL decline in the placebo group over 12 weeks.
  • The drug exhibited a manageable safety profile across all dosage levels and showed dose-dependent anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects through biomarker analysis.
  • Results published in Nature Medicine represent the first clinical proof-of-concept validation of AI-driven drug discovery, with the company now engaging regulatory authorities for larger pivotal trials.

Study Evaluating INS018_055 Administered Orally to Subjects With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

NCT05938920Active, Not RecruitingPhase 2
InSilico Medicine Hong Kong Limited
Posted 6/19/2023

Study Evaluating INS018_055 Administered Orally to Subjects With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

NCT05975983RecruitingPhase 2
InSilico Medicine Hong Kong Limited
Posted 2/8/2024

3D Cell Culture Market Set to Reach $3.48 Billion by 2028 as Pharma Industry Embraces Advanced In Vitro Models

Drug Discovery
  • The global 3D Cell Culture market is projected to reach $3.48 Billion by 2028, driven by its potential to enhance drug discovery and reduce costly attrition rates in pharmaceutical development.
  • Leading pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, GSK, Regeneron, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Astellas are investing in 3D cell culture technologies for improved clinical translation and predictability.
  • The 6th Annual 3D Cell Culture Conference in February 2023 will bring together experts from pharma, regulatory bodies, and research to discuss innovations, clinical applications, and regulatory validation in this rapidly growing field.

New Antibiotic Class Discovered in Soil Sample Could Combat Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Drug Discovery
  • Researchers have identified lariocidin, the first new class of antibiotics to reach the market in nearly 30 years, discovered in bacteria from backyard soil samples.
  • The novel molecule targets bacterial ribosomes with a unique mechanism of action, showing effectiveness against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including WHO-priority drug-resistant pathogens.
  • Lariocidin demonstrated no toxicity to human cells in initial testing, representing a significant breakthrough in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, which causes approximately 4.95 million deaths annually.

Amphista Therapeutics Advances Novel BRD9 Degraders Using Proprietary Targeted Glue Technology

OncologyDrug Discovery
  • Amphista Therapeutics has developed a novel mechanism for BRD9 degradation using its proprietary Targeted Glue® technology, which recruits DCAF16 E3 ligase instead of traditional CRBN or VHL approaches.
  • The company's Eclipsys® platform enables the rational design of orally bioavailable protein degraders with superior drug-like properties, demonstrating rapid, deep, and persistent degradation of BRD9, an emerging target in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
  • Amphista plans to advance its BRD9 degrader into clinical trials in 2026, potentially offering a first-in-class therapeutic option with performance characteristics beyond the limitations of current targeted protein degradation approaches.

Momentum Biotechnologies Acquires OmicScouts to Expand Mass Spectrometry-Based Drug Discovery Platform

Drug Discovery
  • Momentum Biotechnologies has completed the acquisition of Munich-based OmicScouts GmbH, a leader in mass spectrometry-based proteomics, to enhance its drug discovery service offerings.
  • The acquisition provides Momentum with access to well-validated proteomic assays that enable clients to progress from high-throughput screening to cell-based assays and biomarker discovery.
  • OmicScouts' chemoproteomic capabilities will help close the gap between biochemical hit identification and downstream preclinical assays, addressing long-standing client requests.
  • The transaction enables immediate geographic expansion into the European market and strengthens Momentum's position in providing comprehensive mass spectrometry solutions to biopharmaceutical companies.

Regeneron Leads $60 Million Consortium to Accelerate UK Biobank Genome Sequencing for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Drug Discovery

Drug DiscoveryNeurology
• Regeneron has formed a consortium with AbbVie, Alnylam, AstraZeneca, Biogen, and Pfizer, with each company committing $10 million to accelerate sequencing of 500,000 UK Biobank genomes by end of 2019. • The project aims to identify new biological targets for drug development, particularly for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, where current failure rates exceed 90%. • Regeneron's automated sequencing capabilities through its Genetics Center have dramatically reduced processing time, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery by linking genetic data with health records from 500,000 volunteers. • After an exclusive access period for consortium members, all sequencing data and research findings will be made publicly available to the broader scientific community.

Regeneron to Acquire 23andMe for $310 Million, Gaining Access to Vast Genetic Database

Precision MedicineDrug Discovery
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has reached an agreement to acquire 23andMe for approximately $310 million, gaining access to one of the world's largest consumer genetic databases.
• The acquisition comes as 23andMe has struggled financially in recent years, with its stock price declining significantly since going public in 2021 through a SPAC merger.
• This deal represents a strategic move for Regeneron to enhance its drug discovery capabilities by leveraging 23andMe's genetic data from millions of consenting users.

China Dominates AI-Driven Drug Discovery Patent Landscape, Reshaping Pharmaceutical R&D

AIDrug Discovery
  • China has filed over 38,000 generative AI patent applications between 2014-2023, with a significant portion focused on drug discovery and compound screening technologies.
  • The surge in Chinese AI pharmaceutical patents is fueled by government investment, tech giant participation, pharmaceutical market growth, and access to vast healthcare data resources.
  • AI-driven drug discovery systems being patented can analyze chemical compounds, predict properties, and identify drug candidates more efficiently, potentially reducing development timelines and costs.

Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals Raises $28 Million Series A to Advance Non-Degrading Molecular Glue Platform

Drug Discovery
  • Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals secured $28 million in Series A funding led by 3E Bioventures Capital and Proxima Ventures to advance its RapaGlue™ platform for discovering non-degrading molecular glues.
  • The company's platform can systematically create molecular glues by design to target traditionally challenging or undruggable disease targets, including protein-protein interactions and transcription factors.
  • Founded by Johns Hopkins University's Dr. Jun O. Liu, who pioneered the molecular glue field with his 1991 discovery of FK506 and cyclosporin A mechanisms.
  • The RapaGlue™ technology integrates benefits of molecular glues with cyclic peptides to create cell-permeable drug candidates for previously intractable therapeutic targets.

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