Small Molecule PI3K Inhibition in Oncology: What's Been Done and What's to Come?

This article compiles 20+ recent small molecules of general interest in the news in April 2023, with structures where they are available. Capacity Bio’s MAS Receptor Agonists with $35M Raised for FIH Clinical Trials MAS modulator from WO2022165189 example 107 New start-up Capacity Bio backed by RA Capital, Insight Partners, and Remiges [...]

In the aftermath of the thalidomide tragedy, the FDA advised excluding females in the childbearing age from early-stage clinical trials. However, this policy resulted in the prolonged underrepresentation of women in clinical research, limiting knowledge about how drugs affect genders differently. Recent policy changes, including the NIH's emphasis on considering sex as a biological variable, aim to reduce these disparities by promoting more diverse clinical trial participation. This article explores the current landscape of endometriosis therapies and how it relates to women’s healthcare.

The discovery that individuals with null mutations in the NaV1.7 exhibited pain insensitivity sparked interest in targeting NaV1.7 to potentially treat pain. Despite the potential of selectively inhibiting sodium channels like NaV1.7, NaV1.8, and NaV1.9 for pain management, developing selective inhibitors suitable for clinical use has proven challenging. This article complements our coverage of VX-548, NaV1.8 as a critical target in pain management, and our NaV1.8 compound roundup and provides a reminder of noteworthy preclinical and clinical NaV1.7 small molecule inhibitors as of April 2024.

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.

STC15 is Storm Therapeutics' first-in-class and first-to-clinic inhibitor of the post-transcriptional RNA modifier, METTL3, which progressed from HTS hit to clinical development in less than three years. METTL3 inhibitors have been previously identified, but no METTL3 inhibitors have entered clinical development until now. In this article, we explore METTL3 as a therapeutic target, highlight the discovery story of STC15, its fascinating mechanism of action, provide the latest clinical development update, and much more.