|
Udo Haberl, Hans-Georg Frank and Marco Emgenbroich at AplaGen GmbH analyse the pharmacokinetic and pharamacodynamic optimisation of peptide APIs PEPTIDES AS APIS: ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS
Peptides as a class of active agents are somewhere on the borderline between classical biotechnological drugs and small drugs. They resemble recombinant drugs in view of their general protein nature, but are usually produced by chemical methods in a solid phase synthesis process. Their protein nature is the strongest point for their potential use as drugs. Most of the interactions inside cells and inside the whole body are based on protein-protein interactions, at least as far as phenotypic changes – including changes in disease state – are concerned.
Many of these interactions are already characterised, and there are numerous recognised endogenous peptides which prove the general concept of peptides as drugs. Thus, there is an entry into drug design and discovery which is remarkably direct and easy, as is the case for small drugs. Usually, small drugs do not show such a close relationship to internal body processes and interactions as peptides. However, these advantageous similarities to the internal machinery of the body are combined with some less advantageous properties which are common to most peptides of possible pharmacological relevance. |
