“The giant cyclic peptide is referred to as 'NeoBiologics' in the sense that it is a new biological agent that has not existed before. It will also be possible to develop new drugs by creating various peptides like antibodies.”
Hiroaki Suga, a professor at the University of Tokyo in Japan, met with reporters on the 3rd at the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) during the 'Korean Society for Biochemical Engineering Spring Academic Conference and International Symposium' to introduce the research trends of giant cyclic peptides.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. When they combine, they become proteins that govern all life phenomena. Giant cyclic peptides uniquely have a ring structure. They are made up of dozens of amino acids, smaller than proteins but larger than traditional drug substances, which are low molecular weight.
Professor Suga noted, “Giant cyclic peptides exhibit excellent activity in themselves or possess the remarkable ability to regulate activity by combining with antibodies or viral carriers,” adding, “For instance, they will be used as carriers to deliver genes to the brain, applied in the development of treatments for degenerative brain diseases and regenerative medicine for skeletal diseases.”
The German biotechnology company Merck introduced giant cyclic peptides on its website, describing them as 'Goldilocks.' Goldilocks is a term primarily used in economics and astronomy that means an optimal state, neither too scarce nor too abundant. This suggests that giant cyclic peptides have a size that is intermediate between low molecular weight and protein biological agents while possessing the advantages of both.
Professor Suga is a leading scholar in the field of biochemistry. His primary research areas include antibodies and ribonucleic acid (RNA). In 2023, he received the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, known as the gateway to the Nobel Prize, reflecting the high regard it holds within the scientific community, as one-third of its recipients have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes.
Recently, he has gained the attention of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for his research on giant cyclic peptides. Professor Suga founded Peptidream in 2006, which has grown into the most successful biotech startup in Japan. Peptidream has entered into contracts with global pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Roche, based in Switzerland, for research on giant cyclic peptides.
Professor Suga is also involved in drug development using giant cyclic peptides at his second startup, Mira Biologics. Although it cannot be disclosed publicly, he noted that they are already collaborating with two major global pharmaceutical companies. The main focus of their research is the development of carriers for the treatment of brain diseases, aiming to utilize the advantages of giant cyclic peptides to develop effective brain disease treatments that can pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
There are several corporations challenging drug development using giant cyclic peptides besides Professor Suga's company. A prominent example is the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovant, which has recognized its technological capabilities by entering into a drug development agreement for giant cyclic peptides worth up to $3.4 billion (about 5 trillion won) with the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
He predicted that if giant cyclic peptides are commercialized, it might be possible to develop antibody drugs, which could only be formulated as injections, into oral medications. Antibody drugs precisely attack their targets, providing effective disease treatment while minimizing side effects. However, antibodies are proteins that are easily broken down by enzymes. Utilizing giant cyclic peptides can allow for the development of oral medications that are not affected by digestive enzymes.
Professor Suga stated, “Giant cyclic peptides are specialized to be hardly degraded by protein-digesting enzymes due to their ring shape, making them suitable not only for oral drugs but also for forms that can be maintained within the body for long periods,” adding, “This characteristic represents a very strong advantage in the pharmaceutical industry.”