'Home inspections' for life sciences companies going public before clinical proof-of-concept.

For the period from 2010 to 2021, we have observed a phenomenon of life sciences companies conducting Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) without any assets that have demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept (POC). Ideally, this area of investment is targeted by investors with the knowledge and resources to assess the probability of success of such early-stage programs based upon adequately planned and performed due diligence. Our analysis of this trend calls for the establishment of a standardized 'home inspection' procedure that would better inform public equity investors buying into such pre-POC companies about inherent uncertainties that few might be aware of and that even fewer would be equipped to assess.

Dusting off old blueprints: Is it time to reconsider metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 for therapeutic drug development?

The metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu) is a heavily studied therapeutic target in neuropsychiatry for which we anticipate a renewed interest in the near future. We review the rationale and the outcome of clinical trials with mGlu receptor agonists in schizophrenia, a field of intense research since a seminal publication by Patel and colleagues (2007). We summarize evidence about selective, potent and safe agents with quantifiable CNS penetration that can be used to test hypotheses of mGlu receptors involvement in neuropsychiatric diseases.

Restoration of posterior teeth by narrow diameter implants in hyperglycemic and normoglycemic patients - 4-year results of a case-control study.

Objectives: To investigate the four-year clinical outcome and marginal bone loss around narrow-diameter implants in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) and normo-glycemic individuals.

Materials And Methods: In 11 T2DM patients with a concentration of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) > 6.5% (test group) and 15 normoglycemic patients (HbA1C < 6.

From a humorous post to a detailed quantum-chemical study: isocyanate synthesis revisited.

Isocyanates play an essential role in modern manufacturing processes, especially in polyurethane production. There are numerous synthesis strategies for isocyanates both under industrial and laboratory conditions, which do not prevent searching for alternative highly efficient synthetic protocols. Here, we report a detailed theoretical investigation of the mechanism of sulfur dioxide-catalyzed rearrangement of phenylnitrile oxide into phenyl isocyanate, which was first reported in 1977.

Clusterization of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia as Assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory: A Case Against the Use of Principal Component Analysis.

Background: The term Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) covers a group of phenomenologically and medically distinct symptoms that rarely occur in isolation. Their therapy represents a major unmet medical need across dementias of different types, including Alzheimer's disease. Understanding of the symptom occurrence and their clusterization can inform clinical drug development and use of existing and future BPSD treatments.