March 2025 Volume 21, Issue 1

Drug Discovery News March 2025 Issue

Volume 21, Issue 1 | March 2025

March 2025

In this Issue

Women's Health

Microscopic image of a Gram-stained smear of a vaginal swab at 100x magnification. Stained rods and absence of bacilli indicate bacterial vaginosis.

Rebuilding vaginal health with beneficial bacteria

Bacteria from healthy vaginas show promise in protecting women from pathogens, but advancing their development requires more funding and research.
A young woman puts her hand on her head with a laptop in front of her.

A new migraine medication is on the horizon

Lundbeck Therapeutics is testing a monoclonal antibody that targets a novel neuropeptide in a Phase 2b clinical trial. 
Different contraceptive methods including the injections, contraceptive patch, the pill, an intrauterine device, condom, hormonal ring, diaphragm, and cycle tracking method are shown in pastel colors.

A new drug-device combination for non-hormonal contraception

Sabrina Johnson at Daré Bioscience is redefining contraception with Ovaprene, a non-hormonal, monthly option for safe and effective birth control.
A cancerous tumor is shown in red and grey.

Overcoming delivery hurdles, IL-12 tackles ovarian cancer

A targeted interleukin-12 gene therapy plus chemotherapy increased survival in advanced ovarian cancer, setting the stage for a new first-line drug.

Metabolic Disease

A woman holds a newborn baby at the hospital.

Finding new strategies to treat Pompe disease

Enzyme replacement therapy has been the mainstay of Pompe disease. New and emerging therapies may provide more options for patients.
 A woman injects herself with a GLP-1 pen in the stomach.

Illuminating the full side effect profile of GLP-1 drugs

GLP-1 agonists have transformed the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, but they come with side effects. Physicians say the benefits outweigh the risks.

Microbiology

Multi-colored rod-shaped bacteria sit on top of a cantilever that measures their movement.

Diagnostics for faster antimicrobial susceptibility testing

New phenotypic methods can help identify the best antibiotic to treat sepsis, UTIs, and other bacterial infections.
A phage injects DNA into a bacteria cell in purple and blue.

Phages return CRISPR to its microbial roots

Virus-inspired delivery methods enable gene editing of dysregulated microbes.
A microscopic image of the mouse colon shows cells, mucus, and microbes stained in pink and blue.

Antibiotics disrupt the beneficial mucus barrier lining the gut

Antibiotics target bacteria, but new work in mice shows they also harm the mucus layer that protects the intestinal lining from microbes.

Editors Insight

A rattlesnake sits curled up on a rock on a ridge in the desert.

Editorial: Of snakes and science communication

A close encounter with a venomous critter sparked insight for communicating science in times of stress.

Cancer

: A photo taken from a microscope shows the process of chromosome segregation during cell division.

 Targeting aneuploidy to treat cancer

Most cancer cells have the wrong number of chromosomes, known as aneuploidy. Scientists are finding ways to target this flaw with new treatments.
A female doctor wearing gloves touches the neck of an older woman.

A dual-threat cancer drug takes aim at resistance mechanisms

Judy Sebolt-Leopold and her team at MEKanistic Therapeutics developed a single molecule targeting two kinase enzymes that drive resistance to cancer therapies.
A drawing of cells and the process of autophagy and how that contributes to cancer.

Autophagy and cancer: friends or foes?

Autophagy in cancer is a double-edged sword: It protects cells from malignant transformation, but once tumors form, it helps them thrive.
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Reliable fluid biomarkers strategies for clinical neuroscience research

Explore how validated fluid biomarker assays advance clinical research for neurological diseases.
A group of blue capsules is scattered on a bright yellow surface, with one capsule opened to reveal white powder inside.

Understanding drug impurities: types, sources, and analytical strategies

Unseen and often unexpected, drug impurities can slip in at every drug development stage, making their detection and control essential.
Laboratorian with a white coat and blue gloves pipettes green liquid into a beaker with multicolored liquids in beakers and tubes in the blue-tinged, sterile laboratory background.

Discovering cutting-edge nitrosamine analysis in pharmaceuticals

New tools help researchers detect and manage harmful nitrosamine impurities in drugs such as monoclonal antibodies.
Drug Discovery News March 2025 Issue
Latest IssueVolume 21 • Issue 1 • March 2025

March 2025

March 2025 Issue

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