The discovery of metabotropic glutamate receptors in the early '90s opened up a new world of potential drug targets in CNS diseases and beyond. But targeting specific mGluRs proved difficult; eventually the challenge of designing selective molecules led to breakthroughs modulating receptors at sites distinct from the endogenous binding site. This so-called allosteric modulation may help to clear a logjam of undruggable GPCRs and other receptors. Creating drug-like molecules remains a challenge but industry, after some false starts, is poised to make advances as compounds begin to hit proof-of-concept in man.
By Christopher Morrison
Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights
Already a subscriber?
Despite limited evidence of commercial impact, pharmaceutical companies are making massive strategic investments in AI biologics platforms. The question isn't whether the technology shows promise; it's whether that promise can translate to measurable business results.
Against a backdrop of shifting trade policies, the end of multilateral market approaches and renewed focus on supply chain resilience, medtechs are doubling down on innovation in products and processes – using AI – and keeping unmet needs and outcomes in the center of the target.
While biopharma companies experiment with genAI, agentic AI is rapidly shifting the work paradigm towards one of autonomous digital workers that can handle entire process flows.
Biotech companies are pursuing diverse AI strategies beyond expensive custom data generation: foundation model fine-tuning, data-efficient computational methods and targeted proprietary datasets. In Vivo takes a look at some examples.
In Vivo sits down with Ying Tam, CSO at Acuitas Therapeutics, to discuss the company's role in delivering the first personalized CRISPR treatment to an infant and the clinical implications of new lipid nanoparticle technologies.
When it came to AI-related deals, the second quarter of 2025 was characterized by mostly modest financings.
The big pharma CEO with the highest-valued compensation in 2024 was David Ricks of Eli Lilly, while Pfizer and J&J executives slipped into third and fourth place behind AbbVie's now retired chief Richard Gonzalez. European firms brought up the rear.
