An Intracellular Enzyme Drug via Endocytosis: Olipudase Alfa (Xenpozyme)

While gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents (GBCAs) are important for enhancing MRI and MRA imaging, several studies have shown that gadolinium can be retained in the brain and body for months to years after GBCA injection, prompting the FDA to issue box warnings to the drug class. Gadopiclenol, the ninth approved GBCA, was designed to enable use of a lower gadolinium dose than other agents. This highlight reviews how it works and why it’s notable.

In this update of small molecules in the news for February 2023, we will cover recent: - Molecules in Motion : clinical trial updates and FDA filings - Negative Readouts : halted, discontinued or altered clinical trials - Million-Dollar Molecules : recent M&A’s, IPOs, and other fundraising - Potential Approvals : recent NDA filings and [...]

Billion-Dollar Molecules: Etavopivat, an Allosteric PKR Kinase Activator for Sickle Cell Disease Abstract. Novo Nordisk has acquired Forma Therapeutics for $1.1B for its primary investigational drug, etavopivat. Etavopivat, a past Molecule of the Month , is an oral, once-daily allosteric activator of pyruvate kinase-R (PKR), which is [...]

Recently, we summarized the novel small molecule drug approvals of 2023 (34/55). The remaining 21 molecular entities approved were large molecules like proteins and oligonucleotides, accounting for nearly 38% of the total approvals. Notably, seven of these large molecules have earned the prestigious Breakthrough Therapy designation, relative to the two small molecules that share this recognition. A summary of approvals for large molecule drugs, accompanied by links to FDA labels and additional information pertaining to the drug's discovery and originators, appears here.

There continue to be opportunities for another KRAS(G12C) inhibitor to prove itself best-in-class.

This roundup highlights twelve KRAS(G12C) molecules to know, with links to recent case studies on Drug Hunter going in more detail.