Drug Discovery Featured Articles & Applications

1. Using AI In Drug Discovery: The Latest Market Research 12/1/2021

   The deployment of AI-driven drug discovery in areas such as oncology, neurology, and cardiology reduces gaps in R&D for improved drug manufacturing processes and further helps in targeted manufacturing of drugs. These technologies are rapidly attracting pharma and biotech companies, CROs, and academics and research institutions.

2. Inside Novome Biotechnologies’ Phase 1 Study of NOV-001 11/22/2021

   Novome Biotechnologies recently announced positive results from a Phase 1 study of orally administered NOV-001 in healthy volunteers. The Phase 1 study demonstrated the ability to safely colonize the human gut with a therapeutically engineered microbe and control its abundance via once-daily dosing of a prebiotic control molecule. Based on these results, Novome intends to commence a Phase 2a study to evaluate preliminary efficacy in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria.

3. Your Operating Model Needs To Be As Innovative As Your Science: An Open Letter To CEOs And Boards Of Directors Of CGT Companies 11/10/2021

   Organizations should design their operating models to address the unique requirements of CGT products to get the most from their investment dollars. 

4. How Single-Cell Multi-Omics Will Accelerate Cell And Gene Therapy Development 11/1/2021

   Much of the work so far has been in the cancer space, but increasingly, researchers are utilizing single-cell multi-omics tools to analyze engineered cells.

5. AION Labs’ Challenge To AI Drug Development Innovators 11/1/2021

   AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, The Israel Biotech Fund, BioMed X Institute, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Amazon Web Services are teaming up to support the AION Labs mission to inspire innovation in AI-enabled drug discovery and development. Here’s how the consortium created collaboration among fierce competitors.

6. Inside Canavan Disease With BridgeBio’s Dr. Eric David 10/29/2021

   Canavan disease is rare genetic neurological disorder characterized by the spongy degeneration of the white matter in the brain. Affected infants may appear normal at birth, but usually develop symptoms between 3-6 months of age. According to National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), most affected children develop life-threatening complications by 10 years of age. Canavan disease occurs because of mutations in the aspartoacylase (ASPA) gene that affects the breakdown (metabolism) of the N-acetylaspartic acid (NNA). It is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition.

7. Developability: Making Better Bets On Biologic Winners 10/25/2021

   Developability assessments are objective analyses of a molecule’s therapeutic potential, but their execution is as much art as it is science. AltruBio VP of Technical Development Gene Lee, Ph.D. shares his insight into when, why, and how to go about assessing CMC developability.

8. The Need For AI/ML In Drug Discovery, Dev, & Clinical Trials 10/25/2021

   While an influx of new companies and technologies is spurring innovation in the industry, these startups are increasingly in competition for talent and capital. Although a fairly new area with respect to the use of AI, the drug design and development process is ripe for the application of machine learning and deep learning techniques. 

9. Updated Orange Book/Biologic Patent Study: Key Learnings 10/20/2021

   Recently in 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published an update to its 2019 Orange Book patent/biologic patent study report, analyzing America Invents Act post-grant proceeding outcomes for biologic patents and Orange Book‑listed patents between Sept. 16, 2012, and June 30, 2021. This article shares key learnings.

10. Gene Therapy & AADC Deficiency 10/18/2021

    In AADC deficiency, dopamine is not produced in the part of the brain called the putamen, which is, therefore, a prime target for gene therapy.