Development Opportunities of Peptide Drugs

As a cutting-edge track in biomedicine following small-molecule drugs and antibody drugs, peptide drugs combine the easy synthesis of small-molecule drugs with the high specificity of biopharmaceuticals. They perform prominently in terms of target accuracy and side effect control, and have been widely used in multiple fields such as metabolic diseases, tumors, orthopedics, and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, with technological innovation, policy support, and the upgrading of market demand, peptide drugs are facing multiple development opportunities, gradually breaking through development bottlenecks and continuously releasing market potential.

1. Innovationin Drug Delivery Technology, Breaking Through Penetration Bottlenecks

For a long time, injection dependence has been a core obstacle to the penetration of peptide drugs into the mass market. However, since 2026, the commercialization of oral peptides and ultra-long-acting preparations has completely rewritten the competitive logic of the track. Two mature technical routes have been formed in the oral field: Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide relying on the penetration enhancer SNAC continues to achieve volume growth; Eli Lilly's oral small-molecule GLP-1 drug Orforglipron is expected to be approved in 2026, with a weight loss efficacy more than 70% superior to that of oral semaglutide, which can accurately meet the needs of patients with mild weight loss. Ultra-long-acting preparations, through processes such as PEGylation and fatty acid modification, extend the administration cycle to two weeks, significantly improving patient compliance, rapidly penetrating fields such as diabetes and growth hormone deficiency, and forming a differentiated competitive advantage.

2. Efficacy Upgrade and Target Expansion, Broadening Application Boundaries

The involution in the GLP-1 track has forced the industry to shift from "weight loss efficiency" to "weight loss quality", and the precise regulation advantage of peptide drugs is fully demonstrated. The ActRII target drug deployed by Eli Lilly, when combined with GLP-1, can achieve "fat reduction without muscle loss", solving the core pain point of traditional weight loss drugs. At the same time, the application scenarios of peptide drugs continue to expand: cyclic peptides in the anti-tumor field and peptide carriers for ADC drugs have high technical barriers; the gross profit margin of medical aesthetic peptides in non-pharmaceutical scenarios exceeds 40%; the rare disease field, relying on the advantage of precise targets and coupled with global policy inclinations, is expected to achieve high profits, further broadening the industrial development space.

3. Breakthroughs in Synthesis Technology and Patent Expiration, Releasing Industrial Dividends

Innovation in synthesis technology has injected new vitality into the development of peptide drugs. The One-Bead Interchain Assembly Platform (OBIMAP) has subverted the traditional solid-phase synthesis technology, which can efficiently construct complex structures such as cyclic peptides and bicyclic peptides, and improve the synthesis purity and yield of long-chain peptides; the application of technologies such as continuous flow reaction and AI intelligent production has further reduced energy consumption and production costs. At the same time, the Chinese patent of semaglutide will expire in 2026, and it is expected that the global demand for generic CDMO will grow by 40%-50% from 2027 to 2030. Enterprises with process development capabilities and large-scale production capacity will undertake a large number of low-cost orders, driving the expansion of demand for upstream raw materials and equipment, and releasing industrial development dividends.

4. Policy Support and Global Layout, Assisting Domestic Breakthrough

At the domestic policy level, the medical insurance policy has increased support for innovative peptide drugs, and measures such as "vaccination first and subsidy later" and "financial subsidies" have effectively promoted product popularization. In terms of industrial layout, relying on cost advantages, domestic enterprises have obtained FDA/EMA GMP certifications through overseas factory construction, mergers and acquisitions, and gradually entered the supply chains of multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly; at the same time, they have actively seized emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, forming a dual-drive pattern of "volume for price in the domestic market and quality for premium in the overseas market", helping domestic peptide drugs achieve global breakthroughs.