Toleranzia AB has begun a regulatory GLP-toxicology study of TOL-2, being developed for myasthenia gravis. Animals will receive daily doses of TOL-2 on multiple days to determine the safety and tolerability of TOL-2.
Phylex Biosciences Inc. has announced plans to pursue the development of a nanoparticle mRNA vaccine against the Nipah virus. Last year, the company published proof of principle for its second-generation nanoparticle mRNA vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 delta virus.
Astellas Pharma Inc. and Mitobridge Inc. have synthesized stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING; TMEM173) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, neurodegeneration, type I interferonopathy and Sjögren’s syndrome.
Transimmune AG has been awarded a $5 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Strategic Investment Fund that will be used to leverage Transimmune’s physiologically induced dendritic cells (phDCs) to enhance the potency of mRNA vaccines in infectious diseases. The initial focus will be on a therapeutic vaccine for people with HIV.
Benevolentai Ltd. has signed a strategic collaboration with Merck KGaA to identify novel drug candidates, initially for three targets in oncology, neurology and immunology.
Evaxion Biotech A/S has announced the initiation of a novel pipeline program, EVX-B3, an artificial intelligence (AI)-designed vaccine candidate against an undisclosed bacterial pathogen. The new vaccine project will be the subject of a co-funded collaboration between Evaxion and an undisclosed partner.
Biontech SE and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have established a strategic partnership to advance mRNA-based vaccine candidates with the development of BNT-166 for the prevention of mpox (formerly monkeypox).
Research at Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd. has led to the identification of Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, allergy, cancer, influenza, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, herpes virus, and HIV infections, among others.
Lipids are “very diverse, but also vastly understudied,” Anne Brunet told the audience at the recent meeting on Aging Research and Drug Discovery. Advances in the ability to predict protein structures have fueled a much better understanding of the human proteome and its estimated 20,000 members. The lipidome is much larger, numbering maybe 100,000 total. And what those lipids do remains much more fuzzy. “Very little is known about their function, and especially their function during aging,” Brunet said. Slowly, however, technological advances are enabling researchers to understand the roles of lipids as well.