A collaboration between Novo and Fauna will look at animal hibernation and genetic sequencing for hints toward novel therapies for obesity. Pfizer will use Insilico’s machine learning technology in target validation.

A Toll-like receptor-9 agonist under development by Sweden’s InDex Pharmaceuticals showed encouraging clinical responses in top-line results in patients with active ulcerative colitis not responding to other agents. Its novel mechanism of action and relatively benign side effect profile makes it a prime candidate to combine with biologic agents.

Mologen’s CEO tells Scrip the German biotech will only pursue combination studies in future after its lead candidate lefitolimod failed as a monotherapy in a pivotal trial treating metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Mologen CEO says next month’s pivotal trial topline readout on its lead asset lefitolimod will be important for the German-based immunotherapy pioneer of DNA-based TLR9 agonists.