Top 10 Most Popular Drug Hunter Review Articles of 2023
Drug Hunter regularly reviews trends and topics of industry interest, from hot new molecules from conferences to recently notable targets and technologies. Here are ten of the most popular reviews accessed on Drug Hunter in 2023:
1. AACR Orlando 2023: New Drug Candidates - The AACR first disclosures presented in the Chemistry in Cancer Research’s “New Drugs on the Horizon” sessions are always a fascinating source for new targets and drug discovery approaches. This article contains structures and notes for all of the novel small molecule first disclosures presented in the session, and details on another complex molecule disclosed in the poster session.
2. The Molecular Glue Degrader Landscape in 2022 - Using key insights supplied from our partner, CAS, we assembled this minireview to help you quickly survey the landscape of molecule glue degraders. We cover the structures and indications of pre-clinical, clinical, and approved molecular glue degraders and we highlight exciting opportunities to expand the impact of this therapeutic modality.
3. Ten Ways Degraders Differentiate - Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) allows for elimination, rather than inhibition, of proteins by exploiting cells’ own protein clearance mechanisms. This minireview highlights 10 theoretical advantages of targeted protein degradation over traditional small molecule inhibition, with specific industry examples of bifunctional degraders demonstrating proof-of-concept for each.
4. 2023 ACS Spring First Disclosures - The First Disclosures section of the 2023 ACS Spring Meeting in Indianapolis covered three novel small molecules and an ADC this year. The molecules include Merck’s macrocyclic oral PCSK9 inhibitor, MK-0616; Nurix’s oral BTK degrader, NX-2127; and Boehringer Ingelheim’s PDE4 inhibitor for IPF, BI-1015550.
5. 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 the drugs’ 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 into today’s weight loss medications, and what to expect next.
6. KRAS Roundup: Twelve G12C Clinical Molecules to Know - With the unfortunate recent regulatory setback with Amgen’s pioneering, first-in-class KRASG12C inhibitor, sotorasib, there are more opportunities for another KRASG12C inhibitor to prove itself best-in-class. This roundup highlights twelve KRASG12C molecules to know, with links to recent case studies on Drug Hunter containing more detail for each.
7. The Covalent Drug Comeback - The industry perception of covalent inhibitors has continued to improve in the past decade, defying long-standing doubts within the drug discovery community regarding the drugs’ selectivity and safety. This approach was once considered very risky for indications other than cancer due to the potential for idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury and other toxicities. But concerns appear to have softened as an increasing number of non-oncology covalent inhibitor programs have achieved successful outcomes. This article highlights several recent anecdotes in covalent inhibitor drug discovery that seem to reflect these changing attitudes.
8. What Drug Hunters Wish They’d Known When Starting Out - Dennis Hu asks all the distinguished guests who take part in Drug Hunter's ongoing video series what lessons they had learned professionally that they wish they knew earlier in their careers. The responses vary in topic and combine to serve as a masterclass for anyone interested in becoming a more effective and impactful drug hunter.
9. An Unexpected Sotorasib Setback Creates an Opening for KRAS Competitors - Amgen’s first-in-class KRASG12C inhibitor, sotorasib, recently encountered an unexpected but significant regulatory setback with the FDA at its Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting (ODAC). Based on the strength of the biological mechanism and initially reported clinical data, full approval for sotorasib had widely been expected in the industry. But the ODAC vote likely means Amgen will need to run another Ph. III trial or rely on drug combinations to reach full approval. This article reports this surprising news and analyzes what is next for sotorasib.
10. 2022 Drug Approvals - As we reflect on 2023’s drug approvals, it’s nice to look back at how they compare to the year before. In 2022 there were 36 novel small molecule and large molecule drugs approved by the FDA. This page contains posters and reviews of the science behind each molecule including 19 small molecule drugs, 17 large molecule drugs, 9 first-in-class small molecule drugs, and 10 first-in-class large molecule drugs. Stay tuned for our round-up of 2023’s approved molecules!
You can check out more reviews here.
