Drug discovery demands speed and precision, with success often hinging on how quickly teams can move compounds through synthesis, purification, and testing. In this project, flexibility and agility were essential to keep the design–make–test cycle on track.
One of the main challenges lay in the complexity of the synthetic chemistry, which frequently led to low final product yields. Despite this, the team ensured timely purification and delivery of high-quality peptides, enabling downstream testing and supporting data-driven decision-making.
Concept Life Sciences’ approach
Concept Life Sciences’ co-location enabled a fully integrated approach, where chemistry, purification, and biology teams worked side by side. This close collaboration fostered real-time communication and ensured an efficient handover of compounds for testing.
To achieve this, the teams adopted several key strategies:
- Optimized synthesis workflows – Combining automated and manual SPPS strategies to efficiently generate peptide sequences at the required scale
- Dedicated purification expertise – Refining crude peptides (<5 % purity) to >95 % purity using high-resolution reverse-phase preparative HPLC
- Efficient compound handover – Streamlining the synthesis-to-testing workflow so that purified peptides were available for biological evaluation within a week
- Real-time collaboration – Maintaining continuous feedback between chemistry, purification, and biology teams to anticipate challenges and resolve them quickly
Concept Life Sciences’ solution
A structured workflow was implemented in order to ensure rapid and efficient synthesis, purification, and handover of high-quality peptides:
Image Credit: Concept Life Sciences
This included:
- Tailored solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) techniques leveraging a combination of manual synthesis for complex peptides and automation for routine sequences
- Advanced purification methodologies, employing state-of-the-art reverse-phase preparative HPLC in order to refine crude products to high purity
- Analytical rigor, with a robust mix of UPLC-MS with UV, ELS, and MS detectors designed to optimize purity assessment and reaction monitoring
- Integrated ADME and biological testing, facilitating the seamless sharing of stock solution and the instant post-purification profiling of peptides
Project results
By bringing chemistry, purification, and ADME/DMPK expertise together under one roof, Concept Life Sciences was able to streamline peptide synthesis and testing into a seamless process.
Results included:
- Same-week compound profiling – Purified peptides were tested and analyzed within 24 hours of isolation
- Maximized compound utilization – Even when peptide yields were as low as 0.5 mg, efficient stock sharing across teams ensured no material was wasted
- Accelerated drug discovery cycles – Rapid turnaround enabled fast decision-making, keeping the project on track
Summary
This collaborative workflow highlighted the impact of an integrated approach to peptide drug discovery, delivering high-quality data while maintaining both speed and flexibility.
About Concept Life Sciences
Concept Life Sciences is a leading contract research organisation (CRO) serving the global life sciences industry. For over 25 years, the company, and its heritage companies, have provided consultative and collaborative drug discovery and development services. Our approach, supported by passionate scientists and world-leading capabilities, enables clients to overcome complex scientific challenges across a broad range of therapeutic areas, improving program success rates. The company has successfully helped 29 candidates advance to the clinic.
The company offers sophisticated translational biology services coupled with exceptional end-to-end chemistry capabilities across all modalities, including small molecules, biologics, peptides and cell & gene therapies, with the ability to seamlessly integrate capabilities and provide bespoke solutions to address client needs.
Collectively, the company’s high-quality services and commitment to customer service across the drug development pathway enhance efficiency in drug discovery, helping clients advance their drugs to clinic in as little as 32 months, well ahead of the industry average of 60 months.
Driven by a passion for science, Concept Life Sciences has around 230 employees, with around 70% holding PhDs. The company operates from state-of-the-art UK facilities, headquartered near Manchester, with additional operations in Edinburgh, Dundee, and Sandwich. The headquarters is one of the UK’s largest medicinal chemistry CRO sites with key discovery services all under one roof.
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