Syngene adds peptide lab, automation upgrades to accelerate drug discovery

Syngene International, a global contract research, development, and manufacturing organization headquartered in Bengaluru, India, announced new site upgrades designed to accelerate drug discovery and development. 

The investments include a dedicated peptide laboratory in Bengaluru and advanced automation across drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) and direct-to-biology (D2B) workflows in Hyderabad, boosting scalability, cost-efficiency, and data quality, according to the company.

The new peptide laboratory is designed to produce linear and cyclic peptides as well as peptide-drug conjugates and supports synthesis scale-up to 800 millimoles. Six automated peptide synthesizers, equipped with robotic arms, enable parallel operations and reduce project timelines by weeks or months. 

Integrated solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid-phase purification systems, coupled with quality control laboratories, reportedly provide a seamless transition from discovery to development.

Syngene also introduced automation-driven upgrades to its DMPK operations, using robotic systems for high-throughput sample preparation that reportedly reduce turnaround times from five days to three, improve cost efficiency by 30%, and triple sample capacity. The company said its D2B platform accelerates hit-to-lead and lead optimization by combining rapid compound design, miniaturized synthesis, and high-throughput screening.

“At Syngene, we are committed to integrating advanced automation technologies into our research and development workflows to accelerate scientific discovery and improve operational efficiency,” CEO Peter Bains said in a statement. “Peptides are increasingly vital in therapeutic development, and this specialized facility enables us to support our partners with end-to-end capabilities — from synthesis and purification to characterization and early-stage development.”

Syngene’s combined automation and peptide synthesis investments strengthen its global discovery-to-development platform and enhance support for biopharma partners worldwide, the company said.