Fast synthesis could boost drug development
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - 12:30
in Health & Medicine
Small protein fragments, also called peptides, are promising as drugs because they can be designed for very specific functions inside living cells. Insulin and the HIV drug Fuzeon are some of the earliest successful examples, and peptide drugs are expected to become a $25 billion market by 2018. However, a major bottleneck has prevented peptide drugs from reaching their full potential: Manufacturing the peptides takes several weeks, making it difficult to obtain large quantities, and to rapidly test their effectiveness. Chemists have now devised a new way to manufacture peptide drugs, which hold promise for treating many diseases.