AI designed 46 lipopeptides and 44 worked against bacteria
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Nature Communications published a study on 17 October 2026 from Shanghai Jiao Tong University describing a deep-learning model that treats the N-terminal fatty-acid chain as a prompt when predicting the antimicrobial activity of lipopeptides. The team mined 2,657 RiPP-derived core peptide sequences from 96,911 bacterial genomes, virtually attached seven fatty-acid chains (C6 to C18) and screened 6,197 candidates down to 289. Of 46 synthesized at random, 44 showed antimicrobial activity, a 95.7% hit rate. The lead compound, LP630, was active against Gram-positive, Gram-negative and mycobacterial strains in the lab and in mouse wound-infection models. These are preclinical results only.
New Peptide Policy: Who Cheered and Who Pushed Back
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BioSpace reported on 29 October 2026 that reactions to the HHS draft enforcement discretion policy for 503A compounding with six peptide bulk drug substances split along the same lines as comments to the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding called it "an important step for patients" and the American Academy of Peptide Medicine called it "a vital step toward eliminating the unsafe gray and black markets." The Partnership for Safe Medicines said it "leaves Americans in a gray area", and PhRMA said HHS was telling the FDA to "ignore the law." The six match the advisory committee's July recommendation; the committee voted against a seventh. The policy is interim, non-binding and not an FDA approval. Comments open for two weeks after Federal Register publication, set for 30 October.
For research-community awareness only. Not legal advice.
BioLabs Research has no affiliation with, and no endorsement from, any person named. Source: BioSpace
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HHS Names 6 Peptides It Won't Act Against. The Fine Print
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HHS filed a notice for Federal Register public inspection on 28 October 2026 (publication set for 30 October), announcing a draft enforcement discretion policy for 503A compounding with certain peptide bulk drug substances. HHS says it does not intend to take enforcement action against state-licensed pharmacies, federal facilities or licensed physicians compounding with the six peptide bulk drug substances in its Appendix A, but only if strict conditions are met. Conditions include a patient-specific prescription, a registered original manufacturer, a certificate of analysis covering identity, purity, potency, impurities and endotoxins, single-ingredient products and adverse-event reporting. HHS says the policy aims to discourage research-use-only peptides from foreign suppliers. Comments run two weeks after publication. The policy is not binding and is not an FDA approval.
For research-community awareness only. Not legal advice.
Peptide API maker Hybio reports a 512% profit rise and plans to double its Wuhan peptide capacity
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Shenzhen Hybio Pharmaceutical, a Chinese peptide API maker, reported nine-month 2026 revenue of RMB 1.24 billion, up 81.9%, and attributable net profit of RMB 436.6 million, up 512%, attributing the growth mainly to higher API sales, Peptide & Protein News reported on 26 October 2026. The same board meeting approved spending of up to RMB 380 million on a Wuhan expansion that the company says would add 10,000 kg a year of peptide capacity to the 10,000 kg already there, citing short upstream supply for incretin-class APIs. Environmental approval and a shareholder vote are still pending, and no start-up date was given. The planned equipment includes industrial preparative HPLC systems, the purification step behind the purity results a lot-level certificate of analysis reports.
