Basel, Switzerland; Montreal, Canada; and Boston, MA, USA
SpiroChem AG and PeptiFinder Biotech today announced a strategic partnership to establish an integrated discovery engine for peptide and macrocycle drug discovery, combining advanced hit generation with proprietary medicinal chemistry and molecular optimization to accelerate the development of drug candidates against difficult-to-drug targets.
The collaboration brings together PeptiFinder’s mRNA display platform for hit generation and SpiroChem’s proprietary chemistry platform for hit validation, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization. Together, the two companies offer a seamless discovery workflow from initial binder identification through to optimized lead candidates.
This partnership is designed as a platform-driven discovery model, integrating two highly complementary modules into a single, coherent engine. PeptiFinder enables the exploration of ultra-large peptide libraries using mRNA display to identify high-affinity binders against challenging targets. SpiroChem contributes a proprietary medicinal chemistry platform combining macrocycle design, advanced peptidomimetic chemistry, and physicochemical and pharmacological optimization to transform peptide hits into drug-like molecules.
By bridging hit discovery and molecular optimization within a unified framework, the partnership addresses a key limitation in early discovery: fragmentation between upstream screening and downstream medicinal chemistry.
“Combining PeptiFinder’s mRNA display platform with SpiroChem’s proprietary chemistry capabilities creates a highly complementary and differentiated offering for early discovery,” said Thomas Fessard, CEO of SpiroChem. “This is a true platform play: a hit-generation module seamlessly connected to a medicinal chemistry and optimization engine. Our peptidomimetic toolbox enables systematic de-peptidization strategies to remove peptide-intrinsic liabilities early, transforming binders into developable molecules. We believe this integrated approach will resonate strongly with partners seeking faster and more efficient paths from target to lead.”
“Partnering with SpiroChem extends the value of our mRNA display platform beyond hit identification,” said Yongjin Gong, CBO and Co-Founder of PeptiFinder. “Together, we provide a more complete and efficient solution—from high-affinity binder discovery to optimized therapeutic candidates—helping our partners accelerate early discovery programs.”
The partnership will also be supported by coordinated commercial and scientific activities, including joint business development, co-marketing initiatives, and co-branded engagements. Leveraging a transatlantic footprint across Boston, Montreal, and Switzerland, the collaboration is positioned to support biopharma partners across the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Under the collaboration, clients benefit from an integrated workflow including:
- Hit generation via mRNA display
- Hit validation and screening follow-up
- Medicinal chemistry optimization and SAR development
- Macrocycle and peptidomimetic design
- Lead identification and progression toward preclinical candidate selection
The companies expect this partnership to serve as a foundation for future expansion of their integrated discovery capabilities across additional modalities.
About SpiroChem AG
SpiroChem AG is a Swiss- and Canada-based chemistry platform company specializing in complex molecule discovery and early development. Leveraging proprietary technologies and deep expertise in macrocycles, peptidomimetics, and advanced medicinal chemistry, SpiroChem supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners from hit-to-lead through lead optimization.
The company combines high-level scientific expertise with scalable execution, enabling the rapid design and optimization of innovative therapeutic modalities, including macrocycles, peptides, PROTACs, ADCs, and other challenging chemical formats. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, with a major R&D site in Montreal, Canada, SpiroChem serves a global client base across North America, Europe, and Asia.
About PeptiFinder
PeptiFinder Biotech is a biotechnology company specializing in mRNA display-based hit generation for peptide discovery. Its platform enables the screening of ultra-large peptide libraries to identify high-affinity binders against a wide range of biological targets, including those traditionally considered difficult to drug. Additionally, through the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into macrocyclic peptide libraries, PeptiFinder’s mRNA display platform can generate peptide hits with enhanced physicochemical properties and optimized pharmacokinetic profiles. By combining advanced display technologies with robust selection workflows, PeptiFinder delivers high-quality peptide hits with strong binding affinity, specificity, and improved overall properties. Based in the Boston area, PeptiFinder partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to accelerate early-stage drug discovery programs.
