Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have emerged as promising therapeutic options for addressing type‐2 diabetes, obesity, and related conditions. However, because of the continued need for injectable administration, many GLP-1 agonists face compliance challenges. To improve the design and production of GLP-1 receptor biased agonists with enhanced druggability, a novel small molecule, designated SAL0112, was …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists contributed to a research article in the journal Nature Microbiology, which characterized a peptidomimetic inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro).  In a human ACE2 transgenic mouse model, this inhibitor (designated RAY1216) exhibited antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 comparable to those of nirmatrelvir, but with improved pharmacokinetics.

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a pivotal role in signaling pathways, and these transmembrane proteins represent an important drug target class. The majority of approved drugs that target GPCRs bind to traditional orthosteric sites. In a recent publication in Nature, Professor Brian Kobilka and his team at Stanford University successfully identified selective negative allosteric modulators …Read More >

In the last decade, targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology has become one of the most promising methods to remove specific disease-related proteins using cellular self-destruction mechanisms. WuXi AppTec has built a robust TPD discovery platform, allowing for in-depth biological and biophysical characterization of monovalent (molecular glue) and bivalent (PROTAC®) molecules through the use of target …Read More >

WuXi AppTec offers a comprehensive platform of in silico drug discovery services to accelerate the process of hit finding and hit-to-lead optimization.  We provide access to virtual chemical spaces built from our library of novel drug-like scaffolds, to support virtual screening and structure-based virtual screening (SBVS). Advances in ML-empowered virtual screening allows project teams to …Read More >

GPCRs: Function, Structure, and Classifications G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a prevalent class of transmembrane proteins in animal cells, representing one of the largest families of membrane proteins in mammals. These receptors are widely distributed across numerous organs and regulate physiological functions by stimulating intracellular signaling pathways, thereby influencing cellular behavior. GPCRs have a central …Read More >

In addition to identifying chemical starting points for early drug discovery processes, DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology has now expanded to new applications, including the discovery of bifunctional affinity ligands historically considered difficult to develop. At the 2024 Gordon Research Conference, WuXi AppTec presented a poster describing how DEL can enable the rapid discovery of novel …Read More >

Despite the availability of modern screening technologies, identification and optimization of hits against poorly druggable targets remains a significant challenge for drug discovery teams.  Generating hit matter and reference compounds with one screening technology and then screening with a second technology has the potential to be a powerful tool for researchers. At this year’s Oxford …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists published a study in the open access archive ChemRxiv describing the discovery of highly selective, novel, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) targeting molecules. HO-1, primarily a heme-degrading enzyme, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report the discovery of five series of novel …Read More >