Proteins and peptides that are made entirely of D-amino acids are resistant to proteolytic metabolism, resulting in longer half-lives and markedly reduced immunogenicity. These inherent properties make D-proteins and D-peptides near ideal molecules for pharmaceutical products. Several drugs contain D-amino acids with Parsabiv (etelcalcetide), a 7 D-amino acid peptide disulfide linked to L-cysteine, having the greatest D-amino acid content so far among marketed products. The technology of mirror image phage display combined with advances in chemical protein synthesis have enabled the systematic discovery and development of D-proteins with potencies that rival the activities of antibodies. This talk will highlight the technology behind this emerging field with examples of D-products currently in the pipeline.

Biography

Dr. Ault-Riché has started 6 different biotechnology companies. Reflexion Pharmaceuticals is the leader in the development of D-proteins, an innovative new class of pharmaceutical products. Hangzhou Ditai Pharmaceuticals is developing D-protein therapeutics for Asian markets. Zyomyx was the first protein microarray company and pioneered the development of nanostructured devices with specialized surfaces for protein attachment and testing. Pointilliste pioneered the development of high-content protein microarrays that could be interrogated by living cells. Diazyme is a global company that develops a wide range of new clinical diagnostic tests. AllChemie focused on the development of novel peptidomimetic medicines for the treatment of diabetes. Dr. Ault-Riché received a PhD from the University of Kansas and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University with Nobel laureate Arthur Kornberg.