The Latest News in the Peptide World

summer is here and we’re zipping through 2025! There’s a lot happening in the peptide world, from conferences like #IOPC2025 and #AmericanPeptideSymposium, to startup funding, to exciting trial results. We’ve lassoed some of the highlights together for you here.

Startups

Grove Biopharama raised $30 million in Series A funding to develop their protein-like polymer (PLP) platform targeting protein-protein interactions. Their recent work, published in Advanced Materials, demonstrates in vivo efficacy in treating myocardial infarction in a mouse model.

The Toronto based startup ProteinQure closed their $11 million Series A to support their first clinical trial using their AI designed peptide therapeutic for triple negative breast cancer.

Clinical Trials

Altimmune initiated trials for their therapeutic GLP-1 agonist intended to treat Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Alcohol Liver Disease (ALD), with results anticipated mid-year.

Protagonist Therapeutics and Takeda’s Phase 3 trial for Rusfertide, a hepcidin mimetic peptide therapeutic intended to treat patients with polycythemia vera, met its primary endpoint when combined with standard of care; 76.9% of patients achieved clinical response compared to the placebo arm (32.9%).

Viking Therapeutics partnered with Corden Pharma to manufacture oral and injectible versions of their GLP1-agonist. Currently the oral formulation is in Phase 2b trials.

Merck’s Enlicitide, a macrocyclic peptide that inhibits PCSK9, was effective in reducing LDL cholesterol in adults with hyperlipidemia in Phase 3 trials.

Perspective Therapeutics presented Phase I/II results of their peptide-guided radiotherapy; these targeted molecules deliver alpha-particle emitting lead directly to tumors, reducing off-target effects to healthy tissues experienced by patients receiving traditional radiation therapy.

Cerapedics has received FDA approval for PearlMatrix™ P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft, a first-of-its-kind bone growth accelerator for lumbar fusion, which demonstrated superior fusion speed in clinical trials.

Stuart Therapeutics announced initial positive results from its Phase III clinical trial for ST-100 (vezocolmitide) ophthalmic solution, a novel dry eye disease candidate, highlighting its potential for fast-acting healing of ocular surface damage by repairing damaged collagen.

BrightGene presented positive Phase 2 data for BGM0504, a dual GLP-1R/GIPR peptide agonist for weight management and type 2 diabetes, and preclinical data for BGM1812, a novel amylin analog peptide, showcasing their advancements in peptide-based therapeutics.

Therapeutics

Fujifilm has validated the cancer cell-targeting potential of its peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates. Their proprietary cyclic peptide shows strong binding affinity to integrins that make it optimal for targeting cancer cells and enable high efficiency delivery of oligo therapies to cancer cells.

Research published in Bioactive Materials highlighted the utility of a peptide metabolite derived from Thymosin B4 as useful for wound healing as well as exhibiting potent antiviral properties.

Scientists at Virginia Tech designed a peptide, JM2, that disrupts the interaction between Connexin 43 and microtubules that may slow tumor recurrence in glioblastoma.

Avacta Therapeutics' lead precision candidate FAP-Dox (AVA6000) utilizes a pre|CISION® peptide drug conjugate (PDC) platform to specifically deliver anti-cancer payloads to the tumor microenvironment, thereby reducing systemic toxicity and improving treatment efficacy.

Manufacturing

Bachem announced site expansions to increase its peptide production capacity.

1Elevan Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced its relocation from California to Fishers, Indiana, establishing a new 133,500-square-foot headquarters as part of a $7 million investment to develop next-generation peptide therapeutics and expand its manufacturing and CDMO services.