Technology Focus: PEGylation
Peptide ?based Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) have tremendous therapeutic potential, but ?naked? peptides have certain limitations. Typical peptide drugs have low in vivo bioavailability and a circulating half-life measured in hours or even minutes. This situation is usually addressed by increasing the amount and/or frequency of therapeutic dosages, which is possible due to peptide?s low toxicity. However, increased dosages lead to problems with reduced patient compliance, increased costs, and heightened chances of side effects.
One method to address these challenges is PEGylation. By attaching poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to a peptide , drug performance can be significantly improved with minimal increase in manufacturing costs. PEGylation is the process of incorporating this attachment into the manufacturing of the bulk API. This process has a significant positive impact on the pharmacokinetics of a peptide-based drug, including the avoidance of reticuloendothelial (RES) clearance, mitigation of immunogenicity, the avoidance of proteolytic enzymes, and the reduction of renal filtration. These properties conferred on a peptide by PEGylation can significantly increase its half-life in-vivo.
American Peptide Company has years of experience in manufacturing PEGylated peptides and other conjugates and can work with you to identify the best methods of enhancing the properties of your drug candidates.
please contact our sales representative for more details.
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