Constructive Bio wins UK Government innovation grant to transform therapeutic peptide manufacturing

• £1.1 million ($1.35 million) initiative to transform sustainability of peptide drug manufacturing at scale
• Novel biomanufacturing process has the potential to boost drug supplies and significantly reduce pharmaceutical waste by shifting reliance on harmful organic solvents
• Sustainable production method to meet soaring demand for peptide active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), such as GLP-1 peptides

Cambridge, UK – 6 March 2025 – Constructive Bio, a leader in synthetic biology, today announced that it has been awarded a highly competitive grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to transform the manufacturing of therapeutic peptides like semaglutide and tirzepatide. The £1.1 million initiative is supported by Innovate UK funding as part of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D competition.

This collaboration will see Constructive Bio team up with scaleup experts at CPI to cement Constructive Bio’s leadership at the cutting edge of biotechnology, leveraging the company’s groundbreaking cellular biofactories to meet the surging global demand for blockbuster weight loss and diabetes treatments and delivering precision-engineered, high-value peptides at an unprecedented scale.

Therapeutic peptides like semaglutide and tirzepatide, GLP-1 agonists marketed under brand names such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro and Zepbound, have rapidly grown in popularity due to their versatile applications and efficacy against conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Demand for these therapies is surging, with the GLP-1 market alone projected to reach $100 billion annually by 2030. This trend has already led to a significant shortage of semaglutide and tirzepatide in the global supply chain.

The current leading therapeutic peptide manufacturing method, known as solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) relies on resource-intensive chemical synthesis processes to incorporate non-natural amino acids and related chemistries and generates significant harmful chemical waste. Recent analysis estimates that this methods generates a staggering 13 tonnes of waste for every kilogram of the active ingredient. Constructive Bio’s platform offers a new biomanufacturing alternative to chemical synthesis, with the potential to shift the existing solvent-reliant process to a more sustainable, primarily aqueous manufacturing route.

“This project demonstrates a compelling application of our technology. At Constructive Bio we can engineer peptides with highly complex building blocks using living organisms in bioprocesses.” Said Ola Wlodek, CEO of Constructive Bio “By bridging the gap between chemistry and biology, we deliver a green, scalable, and sustainable approach to pharmaceutical manufacturing—powered by cutting-edge science.”

As part of the project, Constructive Bio will partner with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). Constructive Bio will use its platform to incorporate non-natural chemistries into GLP-1 peptides in their recoded strain of E. coli, Syn61, optimising at bench scale. CPI will then leverage its dedicated facilities and extensive expertise to enable scaled-up fermentation up to 100L volumes.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Constructive Bio on this innovative project,” said Brendan Fish, Director of Biologics and RNA Centre of Excellence.“

By combining our expertise in bioprocessing with Constructive Bio’s cutting-edge synthetic biology platform, we aim to develop a scalable and sustainable manufacturing solution that addresses the growing demand for therapeutic peptides while reducing environmental impact."

This initiative aligns with the UK government’s priorities to support green manufacturing and strengthen the country’s life science sector. By addressing the challenges associated with therapeutic peptide production, Constructive Bio and CPI are setting a new standard for sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing while bolstering the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences innovation.

About Constructive Bio

At Constructive Bio we rewrite the genome to build the biomolecules of the future. Our unique technology turns living cells into biofactories, creating sustainable new materials and therapeutics. With full control of the genetic sequence and code, we are exploring chemical space previously unreached by natural biology.

Through exclusive access to breakthrough science from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, based on the research carried out by our founder Professor Jason Chin, Constructive Bio alone has the ability to rewrite entire genomes and incorporate multiple non-canonical amino acids in a single molecule.

Constructive Bio is realising the full scientific and commercial potential of its technologies through its proprietary platforms. These include:

Full genome synthesis: We assemble DNA into genome-scale pieces, stitching and replacing megabases of DNA inside living cells. Through this process, we create entirely new genomes from scratch, writing the genetic blueprint of cells with unprecedented flexibility and precision.

Engineered protein translation: Constructive Bio synthesises proteins with expanded functions by incorporating non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). Through reprogramming the genetic code of cells and expanding their repertoire of chemical building blocks, our technology creates biofactories for the discovery and manufacturing of novel biopolymers. These molecules have unique properties and diverse applications across science and industry, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and biomaterials.

About CPI

CPI catalyses the adoption of advanced technologies and manufacturing solutions to benefit people, places, and our planet.

We’re a pioneering social enterprise that accelerates the development, scale-up and commercialisation of smart AgriFoodTech, energy storage, HealthTech, materials, and pharma innovations. Through our incredible innovation experts and infrastructure, we look beyond the obvious to transform healthcare and drive towards a sustainable future.

As a trusted partner of industry, academia, government, entrepreneurs and the investment community, we connect the dots within the innovation ecosystem to make great ideas and inventions a reality. We believe by working together we can build a better collective future, and as part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we facilitate access to world-class organisations to deliver transformation across industries and landscapes.

Creating lasting global impact from the North of England and Scotland, we invest in people and disruptive technologies to invigorate economies, create circular supply chains and make our world a better place.

www.uk-cpi.com

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.