37. Introduction to Special Issue on Advances in Peptide Therapeutics

I am delighted to welcome you to this special issue of the International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics. Since the introduction of insulin 100 years ago and the invention of the solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) in 1963, therapeutic peptides have been applied to a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, cancer, bacterial/viral infections and pain. In early 2021, 3 peptide drugs (out of 26 drugs) were approved by the U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA), including Empaveli (pegcetacoplan), Zegalogue (dasiglucagon) and Lypkynis (voclosporin). At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus, named COVID-19, emerged that caused unusual viral pneumonia all over the world. The continuing outbreak of COVID-19 remains an extraordinary threat to global public health and is creating additional pressure for drug development.

Li, W.*; (2022), Introduction to Special Issue on Advances in Peptide Therapeutics, Int J Pept Res Ther, 28:88, 10.1007/s10989-022-10398-x