Machine-Learning-Guided Peptide Drug Discovery: Development of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists with Improved Drug Properties

J Med Chem. 2024 Jul 25;67(14):11814-11826. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00417. Epub 2024 Jul 8.

Abstract

Peptide-based drug discovery has surged with the development of peptide hormone-derived analogs for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Machine learning (ML)-enabled quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) approaches have shown great promise in small molecule drug discovery but have been less successful in peptide drug discovery due to limited data availability. We have developed a peptide drug discovery platform called streaMLine, enabling rigorous design, synthesis, screening, and ML-driven analysis of large peptide libraries. Using streaMLine, this study systematically explored secretin as a peptide backbone to generate potent, selective, and long-acting GLP-1R agonists with improved physicochemical properties. We synthesized and screened a total of 2688 peptides and applied ML-guided QSAR to identify multiple options for designing stable and potent GLP-1R agonists. One candidate, GUB021794, was profiled in vivo (S.C., 10 nmol/kg QD) and showed potent body weight loss in diet-induced obese mice and a half-life compatible with once-weekly dosing.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor* / agonists
  • Humans
  • Machine Learning*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Obese
  • Obesity / drug therapy
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor
  • Peptides
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists