Celldex has revealed positive data from the ongoing Phase I study of CDX-622, a novel bispecific antibody that targets two non-redundant, complementary pathways implicated in inflammation and fibrosis. These pathways are mast cell depletion via stem cell factor (SCF) starvation and neutralisation of the alarmin thymic stromal… Read More
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an additional indication for Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg) as a treatment for noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The approval is in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (consistent with stages F2 to F3 fibrosis), in combination with a… Read More
Halo Biosciences has announced publication of results in Thorax from the Phase IIa SATURN study for patients with pulmonary hypertension and interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). The study, conducted at Stanford University, evaluated 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) in patients with pulmonary hypertension, a highly progressive disease with significant unmet needs. The Phase IIa… Read More
GSK has announced plans to acquire efimosfermin, a Phase III-ready potential best-in-class specialty medicine to treat and prevent progression of steatotic liver disease (SLD). The acquisition significantly expands GSK’s hepatology pipeline aimed at addressing steatotic and viral drivers of liver disease, offering multiple development options and potential… Read More
Diana Spencer speaks to Dr Muhunthan Thillai, CEO at Qureight, about the company’s AI-powered imaging analytics and the technology’s potential in lung diseases and beyond. DS: Can you provide some background to the company? MT: We are a core imaging laboratory using deep-learning and analytics… Read More
Kerstin Papenfuss, PhD, Director, Pharma, Deep Science Ventures, looks at the unmet need for fibrosis treatments and where drug discovery opportunities lay in terms of treatment and technology. Fibrosis is a complex pathological process characterised by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, particularly collagen, in response to chronic tissue… Read More
Simona E Carbone, Michelle P Papadimitriou and Darren J Kelly, discuss why GPR68 has been considered an attractive target for cancer therapy – albeit difficult to drug – and highlight its exciting potential in the development of drugs to treat a range of inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. GPR68, or OGR1,… Read More
Qureight and Avalyn Pharma have announced the initiation of a strategic partnership in progressive pulmonary fibrosis, commencing with the ongoing MIST study. The MIST study is a Phase IIb clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of AP01 (inhaled pirfenidone) in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). Read More
Venture studios Deep Science Ventures and General Inception have announced plans to create a company focused on developing novel treatments for fibrosis. Science Ventures and General Inception’s European arm, Igniter Europe, aim to establish a company dedicated to overcoming current bottlenecks in fibrosis therapeutics by developing a novel concept and… Read More
A new study from Korea University suggests that treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) improves liver disease-related clinical outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and reduces liver fibrosis-based disease burden. In recent years, DAAs that block replication of HCV have dramatically transformed the… Read More
The first cohort of participants has been dosed in a Phase I trial MTX-474, a human IgG1 antibody designed to neutralise EphrinB2 signalling to treat fibrosis. The study, taking place in Australia, is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and target engagement of MTX-474 in… Read More
Evotec and Variant Bio have announced a collaboration agreement to identify a best-in-class treatment for diseases caused by fibrosis. Despite the chronic nature of fibrotic conditions, widespread impact on various organs, and substantial disease burden, there is currently no curative treatment for these conditions. Read More
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to iOnctura for its autotaxin inhibitor cambritaxestat for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. After assessing its novel chemical and biological properties, including an attractive non-clinical safety and efficacy profile, the FDA has granted… Read More
Fibrocor Therapeutics, a developer of novel therapeutics to treat fibrosis, recently appointed Piet Wigerinck as Chief Scientific Advisor. Wigerinck has taken four drugs (Prezista, Olysio, Jyseleca and Rekambys) to market. DDW’s Megan Thomas caught up with Wigerinck to learn more about his work with small molecules for fibrosis research. … Read More
AnaMar has announced positive results from its Phase I study, and the completion of Phase II enabling pre-clinical studies, for AM1476’s initial orphan indication in systemic sclerosis (SSc) characterised by lung and skin fibrosis. AM1476, a highly selective small molecule, delivered as an orally administered tablet,… Read More
Intercept Pharmaceuticals’ obeticholic acid (OCA) could be first drug to be approved in the US for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to analysts GlobalData. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the company’s resubmission of its new drug application (NDA) for OCA in patients with pre-cirrhotic liver fibrosis… Read More
