Peptides are some of the most active and specific substances found in drugs. They possess a wide range of biological functions, which make them useful in different therapeutic areas. Also, they are gaining popularity as potent pharmaceutical ingredients in several drug development pathways due to their bioavailability, relative specificity, low toxicity, and increased biological activity.
What is Peptide Synthesis?
Peptide synthesis is the process of producing protein molecules. Proteins are essential biomolecules for humans, and their synthesis presents several business opportunities. The procedure involves the development of peptide bonds across the molecules of adjacent amino acids. The uses of peptides are varied and numerous; they’re specifically valuable for producing epitope-specific antibodies, enzyme-substrate interactions, and drugs, among several others.
The chemical processes used in the synthesis of peptides occur in two phases: liquid and solid (more on these later). The differences in the production process and other factors result in the bifurcation of the market into sub-segments and uses in different therapeutic areas.
Some of the therapeutic areas that heavily rely on peptides and bring in billions of dollars through sales include obesity, diabetes, and oncology. At the level of drug modality, peptides sit at the position between small molecules and more effective biological drugs. In other words, they’re as specific as antibodies and are also as bioavailable as small molecules.
But perhaps the most vital property of peptides is their chemical synthesis. This offers researchers and businesses the avenue to exploit the unique properties of peptides for the greater good, whether for treatment optimizations, drug manufacture, and cure discoveries.
Hence, it comes as no surprise that pharmaceutical companies worldwide are attracted to the manufacture and sales of peptide-based drugs.
Forecasts For the Peptide Synthesis Market
According to figures from the Grand View Research Institute, the 2018 market size of the global peptide synthesis recorded earnings of about USD 379.99 million. Estimates by experts at the research institute show the worldwide revenue from peptide synthesis is expected to spike to USD 1,011.99 million by 2026.
At this rate, the projected growth rate will be at a CAGR of 13.0%. Among the businesses poised to exploit this massive growth potential are gene synthesis companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The healthcare and nutrition industries are among some sectors fueling the immense traction gained by peptide synthesis.
But to fully appreciate the opportunities awaiting businesses in the peptide synthesis market, it’s necessary to consider the following emerging trends.
Top 3 Emerging Trends in The Peptide Synthesis Industry
1. Solution-Phase Synthesis
Image by Darko Stojanovic from Pixabay
Solution-phase synthesis (SPS) is also known as liquid-phase synthesis. It is the conventional method used to synthesize peptides. However, recent manufacturing and scientific advancements have led to its replacement by better methods in most labs today. Large-scale manufacturers of peptides used the SPS method in industrial settings.
The main benefit of using this method to produce peptides is that the resulting products can be purified and deprotected. Determining factors such as the large-scale production of high-grade peptides, affordability, and ease of production make the solution-phase system practical for certain situations in the peptide synthesis market. Overall, this procedure is ideal for ligation technologies and contributes to the growth of the entire market.
2. Solid-Phase Synthesis
Solid-phase production is the procedure that involves the synthesis of peptide compounds whereby the reacting molecules chemically bond with insoluble materials. The entire process occurs in a step-wise and cyclic manner, leading to the proper absorption of amino acids (AAs) into the resulting peptide chain. This emerging trend of peptide production relies on resin, a polymer-based and non-soluble material.
The increasing popularity and widespread use of solid-phase synthesis are partly due to the variety of benefits that come with the help of this method which includes ease of purification, proper automation, easy operation, short production cycles. Finally, manufacturers can produce long peptides with amino acids in small quantities.
3. Hybrid and Recombinant Technology
The hybrid technology combines the liquid and solid phase synthesis to produce peptides. Using this method involves resins from the solid phase and condensed amino acid segments in a solution form the complete peptide sequence.
The possibility of synthesizing peptides with higher length or complexity and better immunogenicity or biologically active conformation relative to chemical production will likely increase the demand for hybrid and recombinant technologies in the coming years. However, the industry has to answer a few questions and think about some challenges facing the entire peptide synthesis market.
Major Challenges Facing The Peptide Synthesis Marketing
The primary challenge impeding the growth and expansion of the peptide synthesis market is the lack of unified rules and regulations to govern the production and use of peptides. This has considerably restrained the growth of the market in some regions and countries.
The development and implementation of a standardized set of guidelines and rules can effectively solve safety and quality control issues. The requirements for quality vary across multiple groups of molecular entities associated with different specific mechanisms. At present, there are no official guidelines from a centralized regulatory body for the synthesis of this type of therapeutics. Due to this situation, therapeutic peptides struggle to obtain approval in certain markets and sectors.
Consequently, this limits the areas of application for these therapeutic peptides. The leading players and companies in the peptide synthesis market need to work around this challenge for the global peptide synthesis market to reach its full potential.
Conclusion
Understanding the emerging trends in the peptide synthesis market and their origins can be instrumental in helping you make better business decisions. Market research, analysis, and in-depth discussions from different sources show that the market size is poised to expand.
Companies need to track and analyze several developments such as mergers, acquisitions, agreements, research and developments, partnerships, and product development in the entire world market for the best results and most advantageous positioning. Hopefully, keeping an eye on the trends mentioned in this article will help focus your efforts and ensure a competitive edge in the peptide synthesis market.