Dulaglutide

Dr. Brad Pentelute to Lead Amide’s Revolutionary Peptide Manufacturing Platform CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amide Technologies, a leading biotech company specializing in the synthesis of complex peptides, announced today the appointment of Dr. Brad Pentelute as its new CEO. Dr. Pentelute, who co-founded Amide while heading the Pentelute Lab at MIT's Department of Chemistry, will succeed interim CEO Dr. Mark Simon. With over 12 years of experience as a Professor of Chemistry at MIT, Dr. Pentelute brings a wealth of expertise from his previous roles as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, a Senior Scientist at Ethos Pharmaceuticals, and a graduate student at the University of Chicago. During his sabbatical from MIT, Dr. Pentelute will focus on scaling Amide’s operations, enhancing product offerings, leveraging AI capabilities, and driving the company towards greater profitability. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Dr. Brad Pentelute (Photo: Business Wire) “With the rising prevalence of cancers and metabolic disorders, coupled with increasing investments in novel drug research and development, the demand for peptide therapeutics is surging. However, the challenges of stringent regulatory requirements and high development costs often hinder peptide-based drug discovery,” stated Dr. Pentelute. “Amide’s advanced synthesis capabilities enable biopharma companies to rapidly develop and iterate complex peptides, unlocking a broader spectrum of therapeutic possibilities. I am excited to lead Amide’s next phase of growth and ensure that peptide sourcing accelerates, rather than impedes, drug discovery. Our goal is to produce thousands of peptides in short timeframes to meet global demand.” Amide Technologies is at the intersection of robotics, chemistry, and AI, driving major advancements in peptide manufacturing. The company's cutting-edge platform uses robotic automation and AI to perform rapid flow peptide synthesis, enabling high-throughput production and unparalleled precision. This fusion of technology and science is key to Amide's ability to scale its operations and meet the growing needs of the biopharma industry. The peptide therapeutics market, projected to reach $82.6 billion by 2032, includes well-known drugs for conditions such as Type II diabetes (Mounjaro, Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza), osteoporosis (Forteo), and cancer (Lupron, Zoladex). Amide’s novel manufacturing platform synthesizes otherwise inaccessible peptides at unprecedented speeds. With $16.5 million in funding to date, Amide supports pharmaceutical and peptide therapeutics companies by providing: Complex synthesis of peptides with 120+ amino acids, previously unattainable. Rapid delivery of peptides within just four days, maintaining a 99% on-time delivery rate. Expansive therapeutic potential through access to large and unconventional compounds. “Peptides are crucial for new drug discovery, yet traditional sourcing methods limit the exploration of diverse amino acid chains. Amide’s innovations in fast and complex peptide synthesis are groundbreaking, and with Dr. Pentelute’s leadership, the company is poised to significantly advance peptide-based drug development,” said Reed Sturtevant, General Partner at The Engine Ventures and Amide Board Member. Dr. Pentelute has made significant research contributions, leading to the invention of new chemistry and AI methods to modify natural proteins for enhanced therapeutic properties. Amide holds exclusive licensing rights to these technologies through MIT patents. Dr. Pentelute’s accolades include the Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, Amgen Young Investigator Award, and Novartis Early Career Award in Organic Chemistry. About Amide Technologies Amide Technologies is a biotech startup offering on-demand complex peptide manufacturing at unprecedented speed. Developed at MIT, Amide’s novel platform bridges the gap between traditional solid-phase peptide synthesis and biological expression, empowering scientists at the forefront of peptide drug design. To learn more about Amide, visit amidetech.com.

As shortages of popular GLP-1 receptor agonists persist across the EU, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) released recommendations on Wednesday calling for member states to exchange information and implement mitigation measures until there is a steady supply of the medicines. The EMA and its Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG) also called on Novo Nordisk, which markets Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Victoza (liraglutide), along with US rival Eli Lilly, the developer of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide), to increase their manufacturing capacity for the weight loss and diabetes drugs. The EU regulator said that “a surge in demand for some of these medicines, coupled with other issues such as manufacturing capacity constraints” kicked off a drug shortage starting in 2022.However, there’s likely not much the two pharmas can do in the short-term to boost production. The drug developers have each poured billions into building or acquiring new manufacturing sites over the last year. Measuring mitigationAt the top of the EMA and MSSG’s recommendation list is for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to work closely with member states to implement controlled distribution policies that would restrict the amount of drugs sold and ration existing supplies to ensure that patients with highest need receive treatment. To determine which patients should be prioritised, MSSG encouraged member states to work with experts to develop guidelines, but cautioned against off-label use of GLP-1s, which could exacerbate the shortage. Additionally, the agency asked member states to measure the effectiveness of whatever mitigation strategy they choose to implement, in order to optimise efficacy across the EU.  As a next step, MSSG will hold a workshop on July 1 with international regulators to discuss other measures to improve the supply of GLP-1 drugs in Europe.