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The NIH is proposing a grant cap that could help some labs and strain others
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a formal Request for Information (RFI) regarding a proposal to limit the number of Research Project Grants (RPGs) an individual investigator can hold simultaneously. The agency is considering caps ranging from two to four grants per Principal Investigator (PI) or Multi-Principal Investigator (MPI). A cap of
How a new permafrost climate model fits a dangerous pattern in climate science
For years, international climate targets have been calculated using the assumption that the world’s northern permafrost would act as a carbon sink through the end of the century. Now, a paper published in Science Advances finds that the northern land carbon sink will become a carbon source in the 2050s. The northern permafrost region, which… The post How a n
NSF mandates immediate open access while disallowing grant funds to pay for it
The NSF’s new draft policy simultaneously requires researchers to publish open access immediately and proposes to eliminate the grant funding that pays for it at many journals, but fails to define exactly which publication costs are allowed. The NSF is renewing and revising its financial assistance policies and procedures document, renaming the longstanding
How a plant virus could keep astronauts medicated on a trip to Mars
A comprehensive analysis of the expected shelf-lives of the entire 2023 ISS formulary found that 54 of 91 medications have a terrestrial shelf-life of 36 months or less, which could be accelerated by space radiation. As NASA aims for Mars missions, which take about 200 days, resupply becomes unrealistic. Now, researchers at the University of… The post How a
NSF’s $1.5 billion X-Labs initiative promises flexibility, but leaves key questions unanswered
When researchers tuned in to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) public webinars on its new $1.5 billion X-Labs initiative, including one held on June 30, they got a consistent answer to nearly every question about eligibility, IP ownership, milestone design and selection criteria: it depends, and we’ll work it out with you. The NSF X-Labs… The post NS
Reservoir time: new study rules out IPCC worst case scenario for Antarctic ice loss
A new study published in Nature found that Antarctic ice loss is remarkably predictable for the next few decades, but varies by glacier. Near-term Antarctic ice loss is linearly predictable through the mid-21st century, but this predictability isn’t a single number. Instead, it’s governed by a physical property called “reservoir timescale” which swings from
Lilly’s retatrutide shows 28.3% weight loss, but increased side effects
Eli Lilly’s retatrutide, a triple hormone receptor agonist, has demonstrated an average weight loss of 28.3% over 80 weeks on the highest dose in Phase 3 trials. While this is more than the average weight loss of other GLP-1 drugs, the medicine comes with increased severity of side effects. Common side effects include nausea and… The post Lilly’s retatrutide
CEPI fast-tracks ebola vaccine candidates from IAVI, Moderna and Oxford
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced the fast-tracking of three investigational vaccines to combat the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. CEPI selected IAVI, Moderna and the University of Oxford’s vaccine candidates based on a global review and consultations with the
How CTF is trying to rescue pharma’s shelved rare disease drugs
Right now, more than 5,000 potential rare disease treatments are sitting on drug company shelves, according to Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) CEO Annette Bakker. That includes drug candidates that companies have stopped actively developing, often after substantial preclinical, toxicology or early clinical work. Nonprofit organizations can help close the g
ADA conference roundup: GLP-1 trial results and researchers removed by police
Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca and more announced recent GLP-1 clinical and preclinical data at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) national conference this week. The conference was eventful, with several experts being escorted out by police after handing out copies of an editorial criticizing the Trump administration’s science policies. The ed
As cell therapies scale and CDMOs cut staff, process know-how is often getting lost in tech transfer
Technology transfer enables the movement of documented processes and knowledge from one unit, such as R&D, a pilot plant or an existing manufacturing site, to another, such as an internal site, CMO or CDMO. However, tacit knowledge, expertise that can’t be written down, is often lost in the process. As of 2022, over 86% of… The post As cell therapies scale a
Calderasib’s real innovation: designed for combinability and potency
Merck didn’t design calderasib to be the most potent KRAS G12C inhibitor on its own. It was designed to be the most combinable inhibitor. The KRAS gene encodes a protein that signals for cell growth. It cycles between active and inactive states, signaling when cells should divide. Although it is one of the most commonly… The post Calderasib’s real innovation
A GLP-1 bone study shows why matching matters in real-world evidence
A clinician sees a pattern in their own patients. They run the numbers to check it, and the numbers seem to confirm what they already suspected. But that confirmation might not be real. “Often a clinician at the point of care will come to us with a hunch — ‘I’ve seen a bunch of these… The post A GLP-1 bone study shows why matching matters in real-world evide
Moderna bets on mRNA’s second act with cancer, autoimmune programs and AI research platform
At its recent annual Science Day, Moderna signalled a strategic expansion beyond its established vaccine and rare disease franchises, unveiling new programs in in vivo CAR-T and solid tumor oncology. The firm also revealed an AI-driven research platform it says will accelerate the pace of drug discovery across its pipeline. The company publicly revealed two…