Peptides Touting for Cancer Treatment

Technological advancements in biotechnology and biomedical applications have helped to plug-in peptides for treatment of various types of cancers. Peptides are gathering increased attention due to their function in cancer nano-medicine. The discovery of cell-membrane penetrating peptides is expected to grow due to their unique property of intracellular drug delivery. This method of drug delivery is anticipated to overcome the traditional method of cancer treatment by chemotherapy. The main predicament faced in conventional chemotherapy is the lack of ability of the drugs to act directly on the targeted cells. This type of conventional therapy also fails to deliver the drugs in the required quantity and harms the other normal cells.

Large pharmaceutical companies are entering this market due to its potential for growth for various therapeutic applications in the near future. These companies are investing heavily in R&D and clinical trials to introduce innovative peptide products for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Currently, there are almost 60 peptides available in the market globally. Out of these peptides, three drugs are already being used for the treatment of cancer. Hence, foreseeing the prospect for growth, companies are entering this market through mergers and acquisitions of small peptide manufacturers.

Currently, the entire pharmaceutical industry and available drug armory is based on technologies. New technological progression, for instance invention of “stapled peptides” by Aileron Therapeutics, has opened new avenues for stabilizing peptides. Unlike other peptides, these are cell permeable and synthetically optimizable. Stapled peptides also preserve specificity and have the recognition capabilities of therapeutic proteins with not many restrictions in their capacity to tackle expected cellular targets.

Now, the need is to encourage the R&D of peptides through more funding and following healthy regulatory and reimbursement policies, which would benefit the entire patient population.