Nutshell Therapeutics (Shanghai) said the FDA cleared its IND for NTS-231, a covalent allosteric molecular glue degrader targeting NRF2. The company said it identified NTS-231 using its Allostar AI-driven platform and that the small molecule covalently binds KEAP1 to induce NRF2 degradation. The FDA clearance advances NTS-231 into clinical development and places the program among NRF2 pathway efforts aimed at modulating oxidative stress and related disease biology. Nutshell’s drug discovery approach emphasizes “molecular glue” mechanism design, which differs from conventional small-molecule inhibitors by leveraging protein-protein or protein-complex interactions.