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The Drug Hunter team is piloting a new series highlighting notable disclosures in the patent literature to provide our readers a timely and scientifically flavorful synopsis of therapeutic targets being actively pursued, emerging industry breakthroughs, and fascinating chemical matter. Here we highlight 12 patents published in December 2023 that piqued our interest, and compiled a searchable table comprising key information from more than 180 additional patents of potential interest to drug hunters. If you have any suggestions on how to make this more useful, please let us know!

DILI is a leading cause of acute liver failure, accounting for half of these cases and often resulting in drug withdrawals. Understanding and managing DILI risk as a medicinal chemist involves exploring the intricate interplay among properties and structural features. In this article, we provide a medicinal chemist's perspective on the current understanding of DILI mechanisms, highlight cutting-edge assay developments for a holistic assessment, and discuss strategies for predicting DILI risks.

Among the small molecule highlights in January’s news were a $100M+ Series A for a PARP1 + PI3Kα-focused company, clinical data with an SLC inhibitor for PKU, a 5-HT2C superagonist for seizures, and a NK1,3 dual antagonist for women’s health. A novel anti-obesity agent from phenotypic screening also made headlines, and the close of a major acquisition may bring relief to the industry. You can read about these notable scientific highlights and more below.

The impact of small and mid-sized biotech companies has become increasingly important. The shift from large pharma dominance to a biotech-driven era of drug discovery presents challenges to the traditional model of education for emerging medicinal chemists. Industry leader Dean Brown recently highlighted challenges for modern medicinal chemists starting in biotech who face fewer mentoring opportunities and are often propelled into leadership positions sooner than their counterparts in big pharma. Here we share how our team of former industry scientists at Drug Hunter can help.

Peptidic GLP-1R agonists have received significant media coverage over the past year for their astounding efficacy in several indications. While most of the recent fanfare has been related to their role in weight loss, GLP-1R agonists have been a mainstay of the type 2 diabetes treatment landscape for the past 2 decades. GLP-1R agonists have also recently shown efficacy in reducing heart disease risk and treating certain chronic kidney diseases. Here’s a recap of the March 14th, 2024, Flash Talk, from Oliver Philps.