Scientia Pharmaceutica

Once-monthly injectable therapies targeting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and adjacent metabolic pathways are moving from a conceptual goal to a plausible next step for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. The most clinically advanced program is maridebart cafraglutide (MariTide), a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist conjugated to an Fc-containing scaffold that also mediates sustained GIP receptor antagonism. Across phase 2 trials, once-monthly maridebart has produced clinically meaningful weight loss (~12–16% in adults without diabetes; ~8–12% in those with T2D), together with HbA1c reductions of ~1.2–1.6 percentage points, with a safety profile broadly consistent with GLP-1-based therapy. An exploratory every-8-weeks regimen showed attenuated efficacy, suggesting that monthly dosing may represent a practical lower boundary for maintaining therapeutic exposure and metabolic effect in this format. Beyond maridebart, a rapidly expanding pipeline—including ultra-long-acting GLP-1 analogs, dual GLP-1/GIP agonists, long-acting GIPR antagonists, amylin receptor agonists, and emerging thyroid hormone receptor beta (THRβ) agonists—is actively testing monthly regimens or induction-to-monthly maintenance strategies; however, most readouts remain early and are frequently limited to conference presentations or sponsor communications. Accordingly, much of the pipeline evidence should be interpreted as early-phase and non-peer-reviewed, and therefore hypothesis-generating. Key uncertainties include long-term durability, cardiometabolic outcomes, immunogenicity, and interindividual variability in response, which will ultimately determine how once-monthly regimens integrate with established weekly standards in routine care.

A comprehensive MD + QC methodology was developed and applied to evaluate various aspects of Arbidol interactions with functional amino acids of surface proteins of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. The spatial structure, solvation features, conformational behavior of Arb AA (AA–Trp, Tyr, Phe, and Val) complexes were established, and the statistics of intermolecular interactions in the complex were described. It was found that Arb can participate in strong and long-lived π-π stacking interactions with aromatic amino acids. The binding energy (BE) of Arbidol and amino acids in aqueous solution was estimated using an explicit solvation model, QTAIM analysis and correlation of BE vs. total electron density at the bond critical points of the complex. Theoretical calculations were validated by experimental studies of fluorescence (FL) quenching of aromatic AA by Arbidol. Spectral-fluorescent properties of Arbidol hydrochloride in aqueous solutions were studied, and the luminescence quantum yield for the electronically excited state of Arb was determined.

Lipid nanoparticles have been a subject of intense scientific interest in recent years due to their inherent biocompatibility, versatile delivery routes, drug loading and potential large-scale production. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are matrix lipid nanoparticles that differ in their lipid composition and, specifically, the presence of liquid lipid in the latter. Their production is straightforward and relatively inexpensive. They provide an additional specific advantage for dermal delivery in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, as they can carry various drugs and even ameliorate the skin condition on their own. The chronic character and the observed predominance of atopic dermatitis in the pediatric population further justify the utility of improved therapeutic strategies and the application of SLNs and NLCs specifically. Therefore, in the current review, we aimed to systematically collect the available literature on this topic and to evaluate where we stand in terms of scientific and practical knowledge. The observations show significant potential for clinical translation for both SLNs and NLCs in the near future. However, some key limitations were identified and discussed. The novelty of this review lies in its systematic consolidation and critical discussion of SLNs and NLCs specifically in the context of atopic dermatitis.