Chemical biology

UC Berkeley Launches New Molecular Therapeutics Initiative to Accelerate Drug Discovery

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Science, Biotechnology, Research, Pharmaceutical, General Health, Health, University, Education, Gene editing, Data science, Drug discovery, Patient, UCB, UC, Artificial intelligence, Chemical biology, Proximity, Cell biology, Cancer, Faculty, Protein, Student, MTI, Doctor of Philosophy, Therapy, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MTX, University of California, Berkeley, Toxicology, DSM-IV codes, Pharmaceutical industry

The University of California, Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics (MTx) division of the Molecular & Cell Biology department today announced the launch of a new initiative to accelerate drug discovery at the interface of academia and biotech.

Key Points: 
  • The University of California, Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics (MTx) division of the Molecular & Cell Biology department today announced the launch of a new initiative to accelerate drug discovery at the interface of academia and biotech.
  • The UC Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI) will create a foundational bridge between fundamental research in rare neurological and metabolic diseases and drug discovery to identify and accelerate novel therapeutic modalities into the clinic.
  • “UC Berkeley is an international nucleus for scientific breakthroughs, such as gene editing and immuno-oncology.
  • “In this way, we are not only advancing R&D but also democratizing it by building industry connections for emerging researchers interested in pursuing a biotech career.”
    The UC Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI) seeks to accelerate drug discovery efforts by creating therapeutic modalities that overcome challenges in druggability and address unmet medical need.

Fujifilm Celebrates Recent Recipients of Fujifilm Fellowships at Harvard Medical School

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Lilium, Therapy, Research, Doctor of Philosophy, Drug resistance, Chemical biology, G protein-coupled receptor, Biology, Obesity, Pain, MIT, Harvard University, Drug discovery, Eurosport 1, Health, Fujifilm, Faculty (division), Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Infection, Publication, Faculty, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Management

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation (Fujifilm), today announced the nine most recent Fujifilm Fellows at Harvard Medical School.

Key Points: 
  • CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation (Fujifilm), today announced the nine most recent Fujifilm Fellows at Harvard Medical School.
  • These PhD students from around the world are part of the Harvard Medical School Therapeutics Graduate Program working to advance therapeutics discovery, development, and applications to improve the treatment of disease.
  • Launched with six fellows in 2019, the Fujifilm Fellowship has now grown to reach 34 recipients to date, including six alumni.
  • “Fujifilm is proud to support Harvard Medical School as it helps to shape our world’s future scientists.

Harvey J. Berger, M.D. Joins Kojin Therapeutics as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
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Kojin Therapeutics, Inc., a pioneer in cell-state and ferroptosis biology and cutting-edge drug discovery, today announced the appointment of Harvey J. Berger, M.D.

Key Points: 
  • Kojin Therapeutics, Inc., a pioneer in cell-state and ferroptosis biology and cutting-edge drug discovery, today announced the appointment of Harvey J. Berger, M.D.
  • as its new chairman, president, and chief executive officer.
  • He founded ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and led the company from a start-up to a fully integrated global oncology company.
  • Kojin co-founder Professor Stuart Schreiber stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Berger, a long-time colleague and collaborator, as Kojin’s new chief executive.

Enhanced Potential of Myricx’s NMT Inhibitor Payloads with Dual Senolytic and Cytotoxic Modes of Action as ADC Cancer Therapies

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 27, 2023
Drug resistance, UKRI, Cellular senescence, Metastasis, Nature Cell Biology, Protein, Medicine, ICS, Research, Chemical biology, Imperial College London, Spacecraft, COPI, CRUK, NMT, ARF1, Cancer, GSK, Notifiable disease, Laboratory, Inflammation, Cell, Phenotype, Medical school, Data, ADC, Francis Crick Institute

Senescent, or so called ‘zombie’ cells, can have deleterious effects on tissue function as they are persistent and secrete many proteins.

Key Points: 
  • Senescent, or so called ‘zombie’ cells, can have deleterious effects on tissue function as they are persistent and secrete many proteins.
  • Small-molecule drugs that selectively eliminate senescent cells, known as senolytics, provide a promising novel strategy for treating multiple diseases, including cancer, fibrotic diseases, and age-related conditions.
  • Overall, the study demonstrated that senescent cells rely on a hyperactive secretory apparatus and that this secretory phenotype is dependent on NMT and inhibiting NMT kills senescent cells.
  • Combined with the cytotoxic effect of NMTis, the senolytic mechanism has the potential to induce deeper and more durable responses in treating tumours than purely cytotoxic payloads.

Spexis announces the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023
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Spexis announces the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology

Key Points: 
  • Spexis announces the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology
    Spexis announces the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology
    Spexis AG (SIX: SPEX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases and oncology, today announced that the company has appointed Gonçalo Bernardes, PhD, as acting Head of Chemical Biology.
  • “We are thrilled to welcome Gonçalo to Spexis, where we look forward to leveraging his expertise in chemical biology to advance the development of our novel macrocycle pipeline,” said Jeff Wager, M.D., Chairman & CEO of Spexis.
  • “Spexis remains committed to strengthening our leading position in macrocycle-based therapeutics with our two distinct and well characterized libraries, PEMFinder and MACROFinder.
  • Spexis continues to leverage its macrocycle platform into new therapeutic modalities and the company expects to provide further details on their progress later this year.

Spexis announces the appointment of Gonçalo Bernardes, Ph.D., as acting Head of Chemical Biology

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Medicinal chemistry, Swiss, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Drug development, University, Therapy, ETH, Cancer, Research, Doctor of Philosophy, Trinity Hall, Cambridge, Chemistry, Entrepreneurship, Flagship Pioneering, Patient, Fellow, European Research Council, Atomic mass, Chemical biology, Library, Royal Society, Federal Institute of Science and Technology, Fine chemical, Pharmaceutical industry, Nursing, Spexy Beast

ALLSCHWIL, Switzerland, Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spexis AG (SIX: SPEX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases and oncology, today announced that the company has appointed Gonçalo Bernardes, PhD, as acting Head of Chemical Biology.

Key Points: 
  • ALLSCHWIL, Switzerland, Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spexis AG (SIX: SPEX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases and oncology, today announced that the company has appointed Gonçalo Bernardes, PhD, as acting Head of Chemical Biology.
  • “We are thrilled to welcome Gonçalo to Spexis, where we look forward to leveraging his expertise in chemical biology to advance the development of our novel macrocycle pipeline,” said Jeff Wager, M.D., Chairman & CEO of Spexis.
  • “Spexis remains committed to strengthening our leading position in macrocycle-based therapeutics with our two distinct and well characterized libraries, PEMFinder and MACROFinder.
  • Spexis continues to leverage its macrocycle platform into new therapeutic modalities and the company expects to provide further details on their progress later this year.

Wistar-Led Team Awarded More Than $12 Million Grant from the NCI to Investigate Link Between Epstein-Barr Virus and Carcinomas

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Infection, Life, Collaborative writing, Cancer, Harvard University, Epithelium, P01, Epstein–Barr virus, Research, Ellen, Malignancy, National Cancer Institute, Translational medicine, Gene expression, Wistar Institute, Metabolomics, Lymphoma, Drug discovery, Tempera, Chemical biology, NCI, Carcinoma, Virus, EBV, Pharmaceutical industry, Wistar

The multidisciplinary team led by Wistar scientists is exploring the role of Epstein-Barr Virus in epithelial cancers.

Key Points: 
  • The multidisciplinary team led by Wistar scientists is exploring the role of Epstein-Barr Virus in epithelial cancers.
  • The new research will focus on basic questions about how EBV infection of normal epithelial cells transforms them into cancer-cells.
  • It’s the first time researchers from this variety of disciplines have combined their efforts to focus entirely on the EBV-epithelial cancer link.
  • Tempera said the group’s integrated approach sets it apart.“Our project will study both metabolic and epigenetic vulnerabilities simultaneously,” he said.

BullFrog AI Announces Appointment of Enrique García-Rivera as Vice President of Artificial Intelligence

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
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GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFRG; BFRGW) ("BullFrog AI" or the "Company"), a precision medicine company using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enable the successful development of pharmaceuticals and biologics, today announced the appointment of Enrique García-Rivera, Ph.D., as its new Vice President of Artificial Intelligence.

Key Points: 
  • GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFRG; BFRGW) ("BullFrog AI" or the "Company"), a precision medicine company using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enable the successful development of pharmaceuticals and biologics, today announced the appointment of Enrique García-Rivera, Ph.D., as its new Vice President of Artificial Intelligence.
  • The appointment will further advance BullFrog AI’s best-in-class proprietary bfLEAP™ AI platform that is engineered to enable more accurate predictions of patient disease progression and improve the design of clinical trials to speed safe and effective drug development.
  • “We are excited to welcome Enrique to BullFrog AI.
  • His vast experience in developing machine learning models and managing large biological databases further augments BullFrog AI’s industry-leading capabilities.

Ajax Therapeutics Appoints Eric S. Fischer, PhD, to Scientific Advisory Board

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Health, Oncology, SAB, Biochemistry, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, JAK, University, Research, Biomedical Research, Computational chemistry, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate, Harvard Medical School, Pancreatic serous cystadenoma, Damon, Ajax, Translational research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Proximity, JAK2, Pharmacology, Therapy, Chemical biology, MPN, Disease, Pharmaceutical industry, Leukemia, Thalidomide

Ajax Therapeutics, Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company applying computational chemistry and structure-based technologies to develop first-in-class and best-in-class JAK inhibitors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), today announced the appointment of Eric S. Fischer, PhD, to the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Key Points: 
  • Ajax Therapeutics, Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company applying computational chemistry and structure-based technologies to develop first-in-class and best-in-class JAK inhibitors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), today announced the appointment of Eric S. Fischer, PhD, to the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
  • Dr. Fischer is a global leader in targeted protein degradation with appointments at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber) and Harvard Medical School.
  • He is a co-founder of Civetta Therapeutics, Neomorph, Inc. and Proximity Therapeutics.
  • Dr. Fischer completed his undergraduate training at the Universities of Hamburg and Basel and his doctoral training at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research.

Vicinitas Therapeutics Appoints Christian Hofmann, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
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Vicinitas Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing a proprietary targeted protein stabilization platform to develop novel therapeutics in cancer and genetic disorders, today announced that Christian Hofmann, Ph.D., has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors.

Key Points: 
  • Vicinitas Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing a proprietary targeted protein stabilization platform to develop novel therapeutics in cancer and genetic disorders, today announced that Christian Hofmann, Ph.D., has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors.
  • Dr. Hofmann joins Vicinitas from Lycia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on extracellular protein degradation, where he served as Chief Business Officer.
  • Prior to Genentech, he held business development and portfolio management positions of increasing responsibility at several startups and Roche Diagnostics.
  • “I believe that Vicinitas represents an enormous opportunity to help patients by targeting proteins previously considered undruggable, and I look forward to working alongside the company’s world class team.”