Isogenica Ltd - Peptides - Leaders in molecular evolution & peptide therapeutics

Science

CIS display and the next generation of therapeutic peptides

There have been two major challenges that have historically prevented the widespread use of peptides for therapeutic uses:

• it has not been possible to routinely produce peptides with sufficient levels of affinity and specificity for them to have therapeutic utility,
• most peptides exhibit extreme sensitivity to serum proteases; peptides are often degraded before they have had an opportunity to reach their target.

CIS display has successfully overcome these two challenges and produces peptides with:

• therapeutic levels of affinity and specificity for their targets
• high levels of resistance to serum and other proteases

Advantages of therapeutic peptides

Peptides discovered using CIS display have some advantages compared to small molecules as a source of drugs:

• Peptides with very high levels of affinity and specificity can be discovered in weeks whereas it usually takes months/years to discover comparable small molecules
• Peptides are metabolised to produce natural amino acids which are non-toxic whereas small molecules are often characterised by the production of toxic metabolites
• Peptides can more readily inhibit protein-protein interactions than is typically the case with small molecules

They also have some advantages compared to antibodies as a source of drugs:

• Peptides are synthesised rather than fermented which provides significant cost of goods advantage and the avoidance of regulatory hurdles relating to purity and lack of contamination by cellular/viral material
• Peptides do not require the establishment of high-expressing cell lines for their manufacture which makes the transition from discovery to clinical development much quicker
• Peptides are more stable than most antibodies which simplifies their storage and formulation and provides more delivery options (e.g. depot slow-release, pulmonary and intranasal etc.)
• Peptides are less likely to be immunogenic
• Because of their smaller size, they penetrate deeper into diseased tissue
• IP relating to their discovery and manufacture is less complex resulting in reduced royalty stacking issues