Evolution of Peptide Drug Biopharmaceutics

-Peptides are low-molecular-weight substances involved in numerous physiological processes, such as growth and development of the organism, stress, regulation of the emotional state, sexual behavior, and immune responses. Most peptides act as ligands for proteins, the interaction with which leads to highly selective effects. Such properties, as well as a low toxicity, allow us to consider peptides as potential effective drugs. The preparation of peptide drugs became possible at the beginning of the 20th century after the development of a method of their selective synthesis. Despite the success of the synthesis of the first peptide drugs, many issues associated with an increase in the stability, bioavailability, half-life, and the ability to move through the cell membranes remain unresolved. The review considers the historical path of development of the synthesis and production of peptides, and discusses modern approaches to the creation of peptide drugs and their application in biopharmaceutics, including in the development of original peptide drugs in Russia.