Drug Discovery

Whether they partner with large pharma companies or virtual biotechs, contract research organizations are being drawn deeper into development, including the development of cell and gene therapies.

Horizon Discovery’s microRNA-adapted short hairpin RNAs are contributing to the development of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies that may be less apt to cause graft-versus- host disease.

According to Pressure BioSciences and RedShiftBio, combining pressure cycling technology and microfluidic modulation spectroscopy can improve studies of misfolding.

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The mechanism and site of action whereby big dynorphin (BigDyn) modulates the acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) have been detailed. These details are of interest because ASICs have emerged as mediators of both pain and stroke and thus represent potential targets in the treatment of these diseases. The newfound details identify ASIC’s acidic pocket as the binding site for BigDyn, and thus highlight this cavity as an important site for the development of novel painkillers.

Companies are striving to keep staff safe while maintaining the supply of systems for vaccine development. Crisis on supply chains, production, and shipments to customers has still been manageable, but the high dynamics of this situation are challenging.

Johnson & Johnson aims to have clinical data available by year’s end on the safety and efficacy of its lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate, an accelerated development and testing timeframe would allow vaccine availability for emergency use in early 2021.

New research shows that ovarian cancer cells not only use fats as an energy source, they are more dependent on them when surviving in an attachment-free environment. In studying the mechanism further and successfully identifying the enzyme involved, a group from Colorado has found that a drug used for congestive heart failure, etomoxir, may be a promising new treatment option.