Gamma-secretase is most well-known as a target for Alzheimer’s disease, though such programs have not been successful to date. Nirogacestat is a gamma-secretase inhibitor that Pfizer originally intended to treat AD, but found life at Springworks Therapeutics as a treatment as a first-in-class drug for rare and aggressive desmoid tumors (DTs). Nirogacestat received the first FDA approval for a treatment for desmoid tumors in Nov. 2023, and this article reviews how it was discovered, how the therapeutic hypothesis emerged after confusing assay disconnects, and lessons learned from the program.

The Altos Therapeutics /Takeda D2/D3 receptor antagonist, TAK-906 , is a peripherally-restricted, non-BBB penetrant molecule, targeting the stomach and vomiting center in the area postrema to treat gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a chronic condition characterized by delayed gastric emptying, resulting in nausea, vomiting, pain, and anorexia [...]

CC-90001 was nominated by reviewer Christian Kuttruff . CC-90001 is a JNK (c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase) inhibitor and a Phase II clinical candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ( NCT03142191 ). Christian says, “Preclinical evidence suggests that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) enzyme function is required for key steps in the pulmonary fibrotic [...]

OATD-01 (OncoArendi Therapeutics oral, first-in-class CHIT1/AMCase chitinase inhibitor clinical candidate)

The ImmunoMet OXPHOS modulator (PC1 inhibitor), IM156 , is a derivative of the long-used biguanide diabetes drug, metformin, that appears to have activity in lung fibrosis models. The therapeutic hypothesis for IPF is that myofibroblasts play an essential role in extracellular matrix remodeling and fibrogenesis that lead to loss of pulmonary [...]