Since being recognised in the 1950’s, many protein and peptide based therapeutics have been discovered. However, it is only over the last decade that developments have really drawn the attention of the pharmaceutical industry, states the new Protein and Peptide-based Therapeutics - Trends in Drug Discovery and Development report.
According to the report, there are currently 280 protein and peptide-based therapeutics molecules (excluding antibodies) currently being marketed for the treatment of a huge variety of diseases, ranging from cancer to HIV and hepatitis. This group of products is approved for the treatment of 283 indications across 22 therapeutic areas.
This total, however, may witness a boom in coming years, as this report has identified 571 molecules in the discovery, preclinical and clinical stages of development. Even this considerable figure is likely to be an underestimate as companies do not always disclose this information. These recorded compounds exist in 953 indication-specific developmental programs, and 629 programs are currently in clinical development.
These therapy types are highly promising as they exert a high level of specificity on their respective targets, which can make them much more effective than traditional treatments. Their potential is increased by their high safety profiles and the high level of tolerance that patients exhibit to their application.
Protein and peptide therapies are not without their disadvantages, however. The size of these molecules poses substantial challenges as it can adversely affect intestinal uptake when the medication is administered orally. There are also issues regarding their half-life values and stability, with their tendency to be quickly hydrolyzed by plasma enzymes.
The cost of developing these therapeutics when compared to traditional molecules can also prove too much for some manufacturers, especially in the contemporary climate of reduced R&D spending.
This report provides an overview of the targeted indications of current molecules across 22 therapeutic areas, relevant technological developments, the manufacturing processes and the current regulatory environment
This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by a team of industry experts.