Peptide Therapeutics Enters a New Era with Quantum Computing Integration: Experts

The fifth Student IPS Symposium jointly organised by the GITAM School of Science, GITAM School of Pharmacy and the Indian Peptide Society (IPS), saw scientists, researchers and students deliberate on emerging frontiers in peptide science, and the expanding reach of therapeutic landscapes of peptides.

Addressing the gathering on Thursday, Prof. K. N. Ganesh, president of IPS and senior scientist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), noted that peptide-based medicines are currently employed in the management and diagnosis of a wide spectrum of medical conditions, including diabetes mellitus, obesity and weight management, oncology, and several rare diseases.

Prof. Ganesh emphasised that peptides are gaining significant attention in the development of targeted drug delivery systems and next-generation peptide-based vaccines.

Peptide drug discovery is undergoing a technological revolution by merging with quantum computing, enabling the design of complex therapeutic peptides with unprecedented precision and speed, he stated. He further pointed to emerging innovation hubs such as Amaravati Quantum Valley, which aim to transform drug discovery through advanced quantum algorithms for molecular simulation and accelerated therapeutic design.

Prof. L. Srinivas, principal GITAM School of Pharmacy, elaborated on the advantages of peptide-based drug delivery systems over conventional synthetic systems. He also noted that nearly 100 peptide drugs have already received global approval, with several candidates progressing from preclinical stages to clinical trials, underscoring the steady growth of the global peptide therapeutics market.