Drug Discovery News and Research

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The drug discovery process begins with recognizing a disease or clinical condition in which there is a lack of adequate medical treatment. Once a potential drug has been identified, pre-clinical research can begin. This process includes several stages; the first of which involves identifying and validating the prospective drug’s target through assay development, high throughput screening, hit identification and finally, lead optimization. Once the pre-clinical process is complete, the newly synthesized drug candidate is selected for future clinical development.

New computer-driven method helps understand how membrane proteins work at the atomic level

Cellular membrane proteins play many important roles throughout the body, including transporting substances in and out of the cell, transmitting signals, speeding up reactions and helping neighboring cells stick together.

7 Oct 2025

$4 million grant supports effort to turn enzyme-targeting science into treatments for Cryptosporidium infections

A University of Houston professor has received nearly $4 million in new support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to lead a translational effort turning enzyme-targeting science into urgently needed treatments for Cryptosporidium infections – which are caused by a life-threatening pathogen and have no existing cure.

7 Oct 2025

SMOC1 gene plays a surprising role in the development of type 2 diabetes

Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, have uncovered a gene called SMOC1 that plays a surprising role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by converting pancreatic cells that normally produce insulin into those that increase blood sugar.

7 Oct 2025

Breakthrough in RNA-targeted drug discovery offers hope against viral diseases

In a quest to develop new antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and other diseases, a collaboration led by scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute has identified a potential new drug against the virus that causes COVID-19.

6 Oct 2025

Newly discovered mechanism helps leukemia cells to evade the immune system

A research team at Lund University in Sweden has discovered a mechanism that helps acute myeloid leukemia cells to evade the body's immune system.

3 Oct 2025

AI serves as a tool to fight drug resistance and accelerate new antibiotic development

Researchers at McMaster University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made two scientific breakthroughs at once: they not only discovered a brand-new antibiotic that targets inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but also successfully used a new type of AI to predict exactly how the drug works. To their knowledge, this a global first for the AI.

3 Oct 2025

Stem cells and organoids offer a new understanding of APOL1 kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 700 million people worldwide and is caused by genetic and environmental factors, as well as existing medical conditions. Known genetic risk factors for CKD include mutations in a gene called APOL1.

3 Oct 2025

How the University of Manchester used Bruker equipment to map the dynamics of complex protein

Discover how Bruker and the University of Manchester joined forces to discover more on the dynamics of complex protein.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 2 Oct 2025

New data analysis method accelerates design of safer covalent inhibitors

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a powerful new data analysis method named COOKIE-Pro (Covalent Occupancy Kinetic Enrichment via Proteomics) that provides a comprehensive, unbiased view of how a class of drugs, called covalent inhibitors, interacts with proteins throughout the cell.

30 Sep 2025

New evidence shows blood-brain barrier remains intact in Alzheimer's mouse model

A team of scientists at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) has published new evidence suggesting that the brain's protective shield - known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) - remains largely intact in a commonly used mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

29 Sep 2025

Concept Life Sciences expands integrated drug discovery facilities

Concept Life Sciences, a leading contract research organisation (CRO) serving the global life sciences and pharma industry, today announces the official opening, by Jonathan Pearce, the Labor Member of Parliament for High Peak, of its expanded integrated drug discovery facilities at its Chapel-en-le-Frith site.

From Concept Life Sciences 29 Sep 2025

Advanced workflow automation and scalable image analysis in spatial biology

ZEISS Microscopy and Concept Life Sciences, a UK-based contract research organization (CRO), announced their collaboration aimed at pioneering new approaches to workflow automation and scalable image analysis in spatial biology.

From Concept Life Sciences 26 Sep 2025

Targeting TGF-β signaling as a strategy to treat liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis, a pathological scarring process resulting from chronic liver injury, represents a significant global health burden due to its potential progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

25 Sep 2025

AI-guided platform improves design and efficiency of therapeutic nanoparticles

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a platform that combines automated wet lab techniques with artificial intelligence (AI) to design nanoparticles for drug delivery.

24 Sep 2025

Blocking iron-regulating enzyme triggers cancer cell death in multiple myeloma

Researchers at Duke University have shown that blocking an enzyme involved in iron regulation not only kills multiple myeloma cancer cells, but also increases the effectiveness of current therapies against the disease.

24 Sep 2025

Scientists show for the first time how fibroblasts go 'rogue' in different diseases

Scientists have mapped underappreciated scaffolding cells in skin, known as fibroblasts. They show for the first time how fibroblasts go 'rogue' in many different diseases affecting multiple organs – from acne and psoriasis, to rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

24 Sep 2025

Groundbreaking discovery could transform leishmaniasis treatment

Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease prevalent across 90 countries, affects approximately 12 million people worldwide, with 350 million more at risk of infection.

24 Sep 2025

New class of antibiotics shows potent activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria

Scientists at the University of Liverpool, working with international collaborators, have discovered Novltex, a groundbreaking new class of antibiotics with potent activity against some of the world's most dangerous multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

18 Sep 2025

Advancing drug discovery with AI, generative chemistry, and 3D molecular design

Discover how AI, generative chemistry, and 3D molecular design are revolutionizing drug discovery.

From Optibrium Ltd. 18 Sep 2025

Enhanced Genomics extends Series A funding to USD $19 million to drive development of therapeutics pipeline

Enhanced Genomics ('Enhanced'), the biotechnology company pioneering 3D multi-omics to rapidly identify high-confidence, genetically validated drug targets for common diseases, today announced it has completed a financing round, extending its total Series A funding to $19 million.

17 Sep 2025