Zealand and BioSolveIT create unique software tool, adding new dimensions to peptide drug design and development

• Combining Zealand's expertise in peptide design and its extensive knowledge database with BiosolveIT's chemical informatics software capabilities

• The tool, which is named PepSee, will help Zealand accelerate peptide design with the potential to support innovation and push the boundaries of peptide research

• The collaboration is in line with Zealand's strategy to enhance its leading position in the field of peptide-based medicines

Copenhagen, Denmark and Sankt Augustin, Germany, March 14, 2016 -- Zealand and BioSolveIT today inform that the companies have joined forces in the creation of a novel, unique software tool tailored to enhance and advance the design, research and development of therapeutic peptides.

Peptides are assemblies of amino acids and can be found in all living organisms, including the human body, where they play essential functional roles in many physiological processes. Medicinal peptide research is a field, which applies pattern recognition and structural optimization of these natural building blocks to guide the design of novel compounds with attractive properties for therapeutic use. Currently, software support in the field of therapeutic peptide research is limited.

Zealand has leading-edge, in-house competencies in the modification and structural design of peptides for therapeutic use, including expertise in the optimization of physico-chemical as well as pharmaco-kinetic and pharmaco-dynamic properties. BioSolveIT has leading expertise in both medicinal and computational chemistry and is globally reputed for their intuitive user interfaces. The companies have been working together to integrate Zealand's well-established understanding and database of peptides and their properties into a new software tool, which will be the first-ever of its kind.

A first version of the tool, which is named PepSee, has been launched at Zealand. The objective is for PepSee to combine visual computational peptide modeling, design and modality prediction capabilities with biological and physio-chemical data to support faster and further advanced therapeutic peptide research and development. Completion of a second version of PepSee is expected within 18 months. BiosolveIT will own the software while Zealand will have a free user license for its application and integration into the company's leading design skills and extensive peptide knowledge database.

Britt Meelby Jensen, President and CEO at Zealand, commented: "We are delighted to work with BioSolveIT on this unique project. It is part of our strategy to continuously expand Zealand's peptide competencies, and the first version of PepSee has already demonstrated its potential to support innovation and enhance our efficiency in the design of novel peptide therapeutics. More importantly, as more features are added, we will push further the boundaries of peptide discovery and development. BioSolveIT has a strong reputation for innovation, usability, and quality of service and we look forward to finalizing the development of this unique peptide research software tool."

Dr Marcus Gastreich, Director Application Science of BioSolveIT, said: "PepSee is a perfect example of BioSolveIT's core expertise: creating fast, visual and user-friendly software tools which have the potential to deliver rapid improvements to scientific innovation. We are delighted that Zealand, with its world-recognised excellence in therapeutic peptide research and design, has chosen to work with us to shape the most relevant tool possible. We believe that this tool will add new dimensions to advanced peptide design."