Search Results

of the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal, is appointed Knight of the Ordre national du

Calcineurin-fusion facilitates cryo-EM structure determination of a Family A GPCR Jun Xu , Geng Chen , Haoqing Wang , Sheng Cao , Jie Heng , Xavier Deupi , Yang Du , Brian K Kobilka Red and far-red cleavable fluorescent

👉 Why has intellectual property become a first-order fundraising signal? Biotech fundraising has undergone a subtle yet significant shift. Capital still exists, but investors are making decisions earlier and filtering more carefully . As a result, intellectual property is no longer something that comes up late in the process. 👉 It has become an early signal of whether a biotech company is fundable at all. This shift does not mean founders need more patents or heavier legal work. What investors are really assessing is how clearly intellectual property supports the business being built . A strong IP position is not defined by volume. It is defined by alignment, control, and credibility . 👉 Many biotech fundraising efforts stall even with solid science and data. The issue is rarely the absence of intellectual property.  More often, the IP does not clearly map to the commercial story the company is telling. That disconnect creates uncertainty, and uncertainty is enough to stop momentum early. From an investor's perspective, biotech fundraising is a process of risk reduction. ✅ Intellectual property now acts as a proxy for how well a founding team understands and manages its core risks. ✅ When the IP story is coherent, trust builds quickly. When it is fragmented, even promising science struggles to move the round forward. Clear intellectual property builds confidence on both sides of the biotech fundraising table Why biotech fundraising breaks before diligence even starts 👉 How does intellectual property become an early filter? Biotech fundraising rarely fails in the diligence phase itself. It fails earlier, often after the first or second meeting.  At that point, investors are not validating documents. They are pattern matching. 👉 What they are really asking is simple. Does this team understand how value will be protected if the science works? 👉 This is where intellectual property gaps start to matter. Not because something is legally wrong, but because the IP story does not answer investor questions clearly enough . Founders often present patents as proof of strength, while investors read them as indicators of risk management. 👉 An early red flag appears when intellectual property is treated as a static asset. Slides list filings and dates, but do not explain how those rights support the fundraising narrative . Investors then have to fill in the gaps themselves, and that rarely works in the founder's favor. In modern biotech fundraising, intellectual property functions as a shortcut. It signals whether the company has thought through scale, competition, and control.  When that signal is weak or confusing, investors slow down. When momentum slows, deals quietly disappear. 👉 Biotech fundraising does not stop because investors find a fatal flaw.   It stops because the IP creates unanswered questions that feel too expensive to explore further. The 3 IP gaps investors notice first 👉 How small misalignments quietly derail biotech fundraising? In early-stage biotech fundraising, investors do not analyze intellectual property in isolation. They evaluate how IP behaves as part of a larger system.  When that system shows cracks, confidence erodes quickly. The most common intellectual property gaps fall into three categories. None of them are legal mistake. All of them are strategic mismatches. 1️⃣ Intellectual property that is disconnected from the business being built This is the most frequent issue investors encounter. The science is strong, the patents exist, yet the IP does not clearly protect the company's commercial direction . Common signals include: 👉 Patents focused on one indication, while the business story targets another 👉 Claims that protect research use but not real-world commercialization 👉 Intellectual property that explains the science well, but not the value capture From an investor's perspective, this creates confusion rather than confidence.   If the IP does not map cleanly to how the company plans to generate returns, the fundraising narrative starts to feel unstable. The issue is not patent quality. It is the lack of alignment between intellectual property and business intent. 2️⃣ Ownership and control that feel unclear or constrained This gap appears most often in academic spinouts, but it is not limited to them. Even experienced founders underestimate how sensitive investors are to ownership details. Typical problem areas include: 👉 University licenses with complex or restrictive terms 👉 Unclear rights to future improvements or new filings 👉 Founders assume that investors cannot verify When ownership is ambiguous, investors struggle to understand who truly benefits if the company succeeds.   That uncertainty increases perceived risk, even if the underlying science is compelling. Importantly, this is rarely about bad decisions by founders. It is a system-level issue that becomes a fundraising issue when it is not clearly framed and explained. 3️⃣ No clear Freedom to Operate narrative Many biotech teams assume Freedom to Operate is a legal exercise that comes later. Investors see it differently. They are not asking for formal reports at the pitch stage. They are looking for evidence of strategic awareness. Red flags emerge when: 👉 Founders cannot articulate who might block market entry 👉 Competitive patents are acknowledged but not contextualized 👉 There is no discussion of workarounds or design choices The absence of a Freedom to Operate narrative signals unexamined risk.   Even if the risk is manageable, not addressing it makes the fundraising process harder. What matters most is not certainty. It is demonstrated thinking.  Investors want to see that the team understands the landscape it is entering. 👉 Why do these gaps matter so early? Individually, each of these issues might seem manageable. Together, they form a pattern. A pattern that suggests the company has not fully connected science, IP, and business into a coherent whole. In biotech fundraising, coherence builds trust. And trust is often what determines whether a conversation moves forward or quietly ends. From insight to funding, clarity turns analysis into investor confidence How IP Expectations Are Evolving Toward 2026 👉 What does this mean for biotech fundraising? Expectations around intellectual property in biotech fundraising are becoming more structured. This shift is not about stricter rules, but about earlier and clearer risk assessment . Investors want to understand sooner how intellectual property supports the business they are being asked to fund. What is changing is the focus. Less attention is placed on legal volume, and more on strategic coherence.  Intellectual property is increasingly evaluated together with development plans and commercial intent, not as a separate legal topic. Several patterns are already emerging: 👉 IP discussions happen earlier in fundraising conversations 👉 Investors look for alignment rather than legal perfection 👉 Founders are expected to show awareness of constraints and options ✅ Looking toward 2026, this trend is likely to continue. Biotech fundraising will favor teams that use intellectual property as a tool for clarity rather than protection alone.  When science, IP, and business reinforce each other, fundraising conversations move faster and with less friction. ✅ For founders, this creates an advantage. Clear intellectual property thinking reduces uncertainty and builds trust early.  In a selective capital environment, that clarity can be as valuable as new data. Strategic Takeaway - Founder Clarity 👉 Biotech fundraising rarely fails because intellectual property is missing. It fails when intellectual property does not clearly support the business being built.  This is not a legal issue, but a clarity issue. 👉 Founders who raise successfully treat intellectual property as part of their core narrative. They can explain what the IP protects, where its limits are, and how that fits the company's direction.  This makes investor decisions easier and faster. The key insight is simple. Fundraising rewards coherence.  When science, intellectual property, and business intent reinforce each other, trust builds early and momentum follows. ✅ For biotech founders, the takeaway is clear. Intellectual property is not a checkbox. It is a signal of how well you understand your own company. Ready to Break Your Bottlenecks? If you're feeling the friction — indecision, misalignment, slow momentum — it's not just operational. It's strategic. Attila runs focused strategy consultations for biotech founders  who are ready to lead with clarity, not just react to pressure. Whether you're refining your narrative, making tough tradeoffs, or simply feeling stuck, this session will get you unstuck — fast. 👉 Book a 1:1 consult and start building the mindset your company actually needs.

You’ll get a framework to predict duration, penetration, and PK/PD separation—so decisions move faster define “irreversible” in real systems, anticipate PK/PD separation, and use target turnover to tune duration penetration, where k_inact/K_I beats classic Ki, and how to quantify what matters—speed of inactivation and durability

Regarding the first question, GPR84 overexpression in immune cells in a range of pro‐inflammatory disorders pain, atherosclerosis, and even metabolic disorders (Nicol et al., 2015, Audoy‐Remus et al., 2015, Du indole‐3‐carbinol, which is present at high levels in some vegetables including broccoli and kale (Wang

October 2022 Dual loss of regulator of G protein signaling 2 and 5 exacerbates ventricular myocyte arrhythmias Here we examined how the dual absence of RGS2 and 5 (Rgs2/5 dbKO) affects blood pressure and cardiac

September 2022 Endothelin-1 Stimulates PAI-1 Protein Expression via Dual Transactivation Pathway Dependent The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of dual transactivation of EGF and TGF-β receptors of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, the functions of ROCK and PLC were investigated in dual

September 2022 β2-Adrenergic Receptor Expression and Intracellular Signaling in B Cells Are Highly Dynamic during In this study, the expression and signaling of β2-ADR in B cells during collagen-induced arthritis (CIA without stimulation of β2-ADR agonist terbutaline by flow cytometry. β2-ADR-expressing B cells increase during The change of β2-ADR expression and signaling during sustained inflammation might be an integral part

May 2022 "We are thrilled to announce that our co-founder Margaux Duchamp has been selected as a 30 under

September 2022 "The activation of phospholipase C (PLC) is thought to have a key role in the cardiomyocyte response to several different hypertrophic agents such as norepinephrine, angiotensin II and endothelin-1. PLC activity results in the generation of diacylglycerol and inositol trisphosphate, which are downstream signal transducers for the expression of fetal genes, increased protein synthesis, and subsequent cardiomyocyte growth. In this article, we describe the signal transduction elements that regulate PLC gene expression. The discussion is focused on the norepinephrine- α1-adrenoceptor signaling pathway and downstream signaling processes that mediate an upregulation of PLC isozyme gene expression. Evidence is also indicated to demonstrate that PLC activities self-regulate the expression of PLC isozymes with the suggestion that PLC activities may be part of a coordinated signaling process for the perpetuation of cardiac hypertrophy. Accordingly, from the information provided, it is plausible that specific PLC isozymes could be targeted for the mitigation of cardiac hypertrophy." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

In addition to the RGS domain, RGS proteins also contain a range of other structural motifs that are : Recent studies have revealed that the interaction between RGS proteins and GPCRs is mediated by a range As negative regulators of GPCR signaling, RGS proteins play a critical role in regulating the duration The dysregulation of these proteins has been implicated in a range of diseases, and understanding the Wang, Q., L.Y. Liu-Chen, and J.R.

This low success rate is due to inadequacies primarily in efficacy and secondarily in safety [5, 11], As researchers of these prime targets, it is our duty to routinely clean our lens of misleading artefacts Freeman BB, 3rd, Yang L, Rankovic Z. Butlen-Ducuing F, Pétavy F, Guizzaro L, Zienowicz M, Salmonson T, Haas M, et al. Teng X, Chen S, Wang Q, Chen Z, Wang X, Huang N, et al.

The chemokine receptor system is implicated in a wide range of inflammatory, autoimmune and infectious forward to target CKRs especially in cancer, nevertheless, targeting this system is a challenging task due binding, as well as G-protein coupling or interaction with other signaling molecules (Sohy et al. 2009; Wang protein-protein interactions which are difficult to modulate using small molecules (Sohy et al. 2009; Wang

GPCR Premium: Sneak Peek A fast, editorial preview—enough to guide your attention, not replace your due lesson shows how to replace inference with models that disentangle mechanism—so your next go/no-go, dose range Engineer assays on purpose:  Set ranges, controls, and system sensitivity to surface mechanism—before

Thus we propose the use of fluorescent probes in GPCR screening assays due to their numerous advantages For example, in Figure 1A, the dual A2B/A3 adenosine receptor fluorescent antagonist (CELT-327) was added wavelengths, where fluorescence from the cell components is minimal, as well as expanding the working range Ciruela F, Jacobson KA, Fernández-Dueñas V. Sridharan R, Zuber J, Connelly SM, Mathew E, Dumont ME.

detection, receptor activation initiates conformational changes, exposing an intracellular cavity (Kang signaling predominantly occurs at the plasma membrane, certain receptors retain their active conformation during Consequently, understanding dynamic interactions between effectors during trafficking becomes crucial elusive, and certain effector proteins with overlapping sites may experience mutually exclusive binding due M. et al. 1999), while dual knockout is lethal (Schmid, C. L., & Bohn, L. M. 2009).

against off-target cytotoxicity or morphological changes, reducing the risk of misinterpreting affinity due The resulting potencies spanned the low-nanomolar to submicromolar range: Most potent ligands :  AAN396 nuclei (blue) remained consistent across all concentrations, indicating that reduced tracer signal was due affinity jumps between analogues, image data can help resolve questions such as: Is the signal change due polypharmacology, or downstream signaling—live-cell HCS provides a rigorous platform that shortens uncertainty during

October 2022 "G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of considerable interest due to their importance in a wide range of physiological functions and in a large number of Food and Drug Administration (FDA

August 2022 "As important drug targets, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play pivotal roles in a wide range However, a large portion of GPCR structures remain unsolved due to structural instability.

The study reports that human white blood cells express an average of 160 GPCR mRNAs, ranging from 123 the insights gained from this research will be instrumental in shaping therapeutic strategies for a range

GPCRs are present in a range of conformations, and the binding of a ligand, as well as interactions with Those include the risk of unintended off-target effects, limited selectivity due to closely related receptor desensitization), the same drug acting on the same receptor in the same cellular context can produce a range This variability in drug effects is due to different ligands inducing unique GPCR conformations that

most densely innervated tissue of the body and possesses both immune and vascular privilege, in part due Corneal nerves produce various neuropeptides that have a wide range of functions on immune cells. regarding the details of neuropeptide signaling and how it contributes to pathophysiology, which is likely due

Jang W, Senarath K, Feinberg G, Lu S, Lambert NA. eLife.97033.3   Maurel D, Comps-Agrar L, Brock C, Rives ML, Bourrier E, Ayoub MA, Bazin H, Tinel N, Durroux

August 2022 "Despite the importance of members of the GPCR superfamily as targets of a broad range of Expression of GPR84 is strongly up regulated in immune cells in a range of pro-inflammatory settings

equilibrium and avoid potency errors from premature reads ✅ Methods to detect hidden mechanisms—mixtures, dual Drugs carry dual mechanisms. At equilibrium, these effects cancel. But kinetics unmasks them. Suddenly, at higher doses, you see an exaggerated ‘bang’ of effect.

Learning the Lab, Learning Herself During her time at the contract research organization (CRO) in Ann This experience sharpened her conceptual range and prepared her for the next step.

Why Allosteric Modulators Expand Your Toolkit Allosterics offer a broader range of effects—additive, Unlike orthosterics, they can discriminate between agonists, pathways, and even durations of action.

well as target validation strategies for the discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents ranging

clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company developing novel oral therapeutics to treat a wide range

Structure-guided design of a peripherally restricted chemogenetic system Hye Jin Kang , Brian E Krumm Don't get left in the dust—upgrade now and keep your GPCR gossip game strong!