Biocatalytic Shortcut Gives GLP-1-Like Peptides a Makeover, Boosting Stability and Potential for New Therapies

Biocatalytic shortcut gives GLP-1-like peptides a makeover, boosting stability and potential for new therapies

GLP-1–pathway agonists such as semaglutide and newer multi-agonists have transformed care for obesity and diabetes, yet developers still wrestle with durability, tissue targeting, and signal "bias." Macrocyclization, tying part of a peptide into a ring, can shield drugs from degradation and favor bioactive shapes, but conventional chemistry can be costly and hard to apply late in development.

Newly Published Paper Describes Discovery that Powers Enzymatic Makeovers for GLP 1 Like Peptides

A newly published study in ACS Bio & Med Chem Au reports a biocatalytic shortcut: an enzyme that forms a precise thioether bond at peptide C termini without the leader tags that many peptide-modifying enzymes typically require.