Can virtual patients predict whether a drug will succeed? Written byBree Foster, PhD +++

Can virtual patients predict whether a drug will succeed? Phase Advance is using mechanistic virtual patient models to predict how LEAF4Life's hypoxia-targeting therapy could perform across multiple indications. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/can-virtual-patients-predict-whether-a-drug-will-succeed-17347 Even after years of laboratory research and early clinical testing, most drug candidates fail before reaching patients. Recent advances in AI and computational drug development have yet to change that reality, with the percentage of Phase 2 and 3 trials terminated before completion more than doubling from 11 percent to 23 percent between 2013 and 2023. Can the healthcare system catch up to GLP-1 drug use? Millions of patients are now taking drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, but clinicians still struggle to predict who will benefit and how best to support lasting results. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/can-the-healthcare-system-catch-up-to-glp-1-drug-use-17108?utm_campaign=DDN_Newsletter_Dose&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-87M9M94gCRS1KWaKwRDSCAJjCZAQeHu4xpb8jM0y9ySGgXaZd3n_-xqrcrkMPG1MnpPkZ-xqhyk3wDX3QUpM5p3l5TPg&_hsmi=429953149&utm_content=429953149&utm_source=hs_email When GLP-1 drugs first entered clinical practice nearly two decades ago, few could have predicted how quickly they would escape the confines of endocrinology and enter everyday conversation. Today, medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are discussed not just in clinics and conferences, but on social media, red carpets, and group chats — often framed as lifestyle enhancers rather than powerful, lifelong medications. Gut microbes help turn white fat into calorie-burning beige fat A new study shows how specific gut bacteria work with diet to trigger fat browning in mice, revealing potential pathways for future metabolic therapies. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/gut-microbes-help-turn-white-fat-into-calorie-burning-beige-fat-17065?utm_campaign=DDN_Newsletter_Dose&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fggwWOrC4Br-U4br8pECNBbLe9tudzekwHjhWVmg4tkW-3xYyOmQkAp88uNb5avmO48BZZa9UvVd-fAMsYQ-ps2YxbQ&_hsmi=429953149&utm_content=429953149&utm_source=hs_email When we think about fat, we most often imagine white fat cells, which store excess calories like tiny batteries, providing insulation and cushioning for muscles, bones, and organs. But not all fat is built to store energy. Brown fat does the opposite, burning calories to generate heat and keep the body warm. And then there is beige fat. First identified in 2008, beige fat resides within white fat tissue but functions like brown fat, efficiently burning energy when the body is exposed to cold.