Latest Industry Insights

See how cryo-EM advances are changing scientific research, particularly in cell and drug discovery studies, and the role that precision instruments are playing in this.

A team from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has screened existing drug compounds that have already passed through the entire drug development pipeline, to determine if any can disrupt the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the host’s angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.

In drug discovery, time and monetary investments increase significantly the further candidates advance through the preclinical phase of testing, analysis and evaluation. By excluding non-viable compounds for safety and toxicity reasons early on, resources can be redirected to bring the most promising drugs to market sooner.

Biotech company COVAXX is developing a COVID-19 vaccine using a multi-antigen peptide platform, which not only targets the infamous SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein but also targets other parts of the virus to enhance the immune response. Technology Networks spoke with Mei Mei Hu, co-founder of COVAXX, to learn more about the vaccine platform and the preclinical data that has been obtained for UB-612.

Infectious diseases remain a major health threat. The ongoing evolution of viral variants makes it likely that emerging infections will continue to occur – highlighting the need to develop new therapeutic and preventive approaches. Jeff Stein, PhD, President and CEO at Cidara Therapeutics tells Technology Networks more about a novel antiviral strategy they have developed called antiviral conjugates.

Professor Ron Heeren recently embarked on a study to bring together the spatial molecular information that is provided by MALDI-MSI with the microproteomic characterization generated by LC-MS on the same tissue specimen, on a single instrument. Heeren and colleagues were successful in this feat. Their work is published in the journal Proteomics and forms the basis of this interview.

The discovery and development of drugs to treat diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) is particularly challenging compared to other disease areas. The blood–brain barrier restricts access to the brain, making the targeted delivery of drugs arduous, and in many cases, we are yet to have a complete understanding of the biology behind CNS disorders. In this industry insight, Brad Margus, CEO at Cerevance, tells us more about the company’s drug development pipeline and their lead candidate CVN424, which is currently being developed to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Technology Networks recently had the pleasure of speaking with Celyad Oncology’s CEO Filippo Petti. In this interview, Petti discusses key immunotherapy advances, highlights the two main CAR T-cell therapy approaches and elaborates on the company’s “off-the-shelf” CAR T cells.

For companies in the life sciences and pharma industry, a long-standing challenge is the need to digitize and make available legacy data for drug development workflows. At the same time, they must also incorporate the latest technologies into drug development and testing processes. In this article, Mark Spencer explores how companies can tackle these dual challenges with the help of informatics solutions.

Technology Networks recently spoke with iBio’s CEO and Chairman of the Board Thomas Isett, to learn more about the company’s efforts to develop a novel COVID-19 therapeutic called ACE2-Fc, as well as two vaccine candidates IBIO-200 and IBIO-201.