MK-0616: The 2023 Molecule of the Year
Other articles you may be interested in
The Post-Gleevec Era
Gleevec (imatinib) was the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of cancer and one of the first products to emerge from "rational drug design." It's invention changed chronic myeloid leukemia from an incurable death sentence to a manageable disease. Here's a look back on the tremendous value it's created over the last [...]
How GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Evolved from Diabetes Treatments to Weight Loss Treatments
Peptidic GLP-1R agonists have received significant media coverage over the past year for their astounding efficacy in several indications. GLP-1R agonists now appear to be efficacious in reducing heart disease risk and in treating certain chronic kidney diseases, expanding their likely future use. This review by Oliver Philps provides an overview of GLP-1 agonists and where they fit in the treatment of diabetes, how the peptide drugs evolved over time to today’s weight loss medications, and what to expect next...
SOS1 and SMARCA2 Degraders, RORγ and IRAK4 Inhibitors, and More: January 2024 Compound Collection
The team reviews hundreds of compounds from thousands of papers, press releases, and other sources each month to select candidates for Molecules of the Month. Here we have compiled a table of >70 additional molecules that were of interest in January 2024 along with highlights from some of our favorites, including molecules targeting SOS1, NLRP3, SMARCA2, and more.
A Superagonist, A Novel Anti-Obesity Agent from a Zebrafish Screen, and More News Highlights From January 2024
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.
Leaving Academia to Discover a Billion-Dollar Drug: Reflections from a Thirty-Year Path to Momelotinib’s Approval
Momelotinib is a JAK inhibitor approved by the FDA in September 2023 for treating myelofibrosis. Last year, the molecule’s co-inventors, Andrew Wilks and Christopher Burns, gave a Drug Hunter Flash talk about the development of this drug with a fascinating mechanism of action.
In celebration of the molecule’s advancement, here we recap their brilliant story, including Wilks’ discovery of the JAK kinases and how he gave them their name, and the long, sometimes fraught journey of momelotinib through several companies before its acquisition and commercialization by GSK.