Reagent and Catalyst Capsules: A Chemical Delivery System for Reaction Screening and Parallel Synthesis.

Commercially available hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsules are employed as a fast, safe, and user-friendly chemical delivery system containing all reagents (catalyst, ligand, and base) for three important transition-metal-catalyzed reactions: Buchwald-Hartwig, Suzuki-Miyaura, and metallophotoredox C-N cross-coupling reactions. This encapsulation methodology simplifies the screening of reaction conditions and the preparation of compound libraries using parallel synthesis in organic solvents or aqueous media. These reagents-containing HPMC capsules are easy to prepare, come in different sizes, and can be stored on the bench under noninert conditions.

Electronic Neurostatus-EDSS increases the quality of expanded disability status scale assessments: Experience from two phase 3 clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: The Neurostatus-eEDSS is an electronic tool providing automated real-time feedback on inconsistencies of Neurostatus-EDSS calculations. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the performance of the Neurostatus-eEDSS in two multicenter phase 3 multiple sclerosis (MS) trials. METHODS: All assessments captured with the Neurostatus-eEDSS web service during a period of 2.5 years were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total 10,789 assessments, 40.1% had inconsistencies after first entry, reduced to 22.1% due to the real-time feedback. The entire checking process resulted in a change of the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score in 14.8% of the assessments. CONCLUSION: The Neurostatus-eEDSS can increase consistency and reliability of EDSS assessments in clinical MS trials.

SMART - Not Always Only "Stroke-Like".

Stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy (SMART) is a syndrome observed in a delayed fashion in patients following brain radiation therapy. It is a rare but important differential diagnosis of migraine in these patients, often presenting with migraine-like headache. In addition, there may be focal neurological deficits or seizures. In general, it is regarded as a reversible condition, therefore termed stroke-like. Our case illustrates that there may also be ischemic stroke associated with SMART leading to an unfavorable course, even after prior remission.

An updated patent review of p38 MAP kinase inhibitors (2014-2019).

Introduction: During the first half of the last decade the p38 MAP kinase family was a very popular target in academic as well as industrial research programs. Many attempts to achieve marketing authorization for a p38 MAPK inhibitor for the treatment of pro-inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), failed at the state of clinical trials, mostly due to selectivity and/or toxicity issues.Areas covered: Herein, the patents and corresponding publications of international companies, universities and other research institutions, which focus on the development, identification and optimization of new selective p38 inhibitors and their fields of use are summarized.Expert opinion: p38 MAP kinase inhibitors are a mature field with many pre-clinically validated structural classes, more than 20 candidates in clinical trials but still (except the weak and unselective p38 inhibitor pirfenidone) no approved drug. Big Pharma hasn't contributed much to the patents of the last five years but remarkable contribution have come from academic environment or small biotech companies. Three general punchlines of innovation have shown up. Tailor-made molecules with properties for local application, mainly type-II (Urea-type) inhibitors for lung- or skin diseases, isoform p38γ,δ-selective inhibitors for the treatment of cutaneous t-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and substrate-specific inhibitors (e.g. p38/MK2).