Current Status and Strategy of Middle-Molecule Drug Discovery

Shionogi is enhancing our existing strengths in small-molecule drug discovery and also working on a wide range of therapeutic approaches (modalities) to meet the broad range of patient and societal needs. We aim to increase our drug discovery success rate by using the best drug discovery approach for each target therapeutic area. That means trying medium-sized molecules such as peptides and nucleic acids. We are building new strengths from the base provided by this SAR engine for small-molecule drug discovery. Peptides do not readily pass through cell membranes because of their high molecular weight and chemical characteristics, so they can only be used to target extracellular molecules. To tackle this issue, we combined our small-molecule drug discovery capabilities with PDPS (Peptide Discovery Platform System) technology. After extensive research, we have made progress with a technology to optimize candidate peptide structures that results in a dramatic improvement in membrane permeability. This has significantly broadened the scope for the discovery of pharmaceuticals to treat diseases where there are substantial unmet clinical needs, such as conditions with limited treatment options.