CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Amide Technologies, a leading biotech company specializing in the synthesis of complex peptides, announced today the appointment of Dr. Brad Pentelute as its new CEO. Dr. Pentelute, who co-founded Amide while heading the Pentelute Lab at MIT’s Department of Chemistry, will succeed interim CEO Dr. Mark Simon. With over 12 years of experience as a Professor of Chemistry at MIT, Dr. Pentelute brings a wealth of expertise from his previous roles as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, a Senior Scientist at Ethos Pharmaceuticals, and a graduate student at the University of Chicago. During his sabbatical from MIT, Dr. Pentelute will focus on scaling Amide’s operations, enhancing product offerings, leveraging AI capabilities, and driving the company towards greater profitability.
“With the rising prevalence of cancers and metabolic disorders, coupled with increasing investments in novel drug research and development, the demand for peptide therapeutics is surging. However, the challenges of stringent regulatory requirements and high development costs often hinder peptide-based drug discovery,” stated Dr. Pentelute. “Amide’s advanced synthesis capabilities enable biopharma companies to rapidly develop and iterate complex peptides, unlocking a broader spectrum of therapeutic possibilities. I am excited to lead Amide’s next phase of growth and ensure that peptide sourcing accelerates, rather than impedes, drug discovery. Our goal is to produce thousands of peptides in short timeframes to meet global demand.”
Amide Technologies is at the intersection of robotics, chemistry, and AI, driving major advancements in peptide manufacturing. The company’s cutting-edge platform uses robotic automation and AI to perform rapid flow peptide synthesis, enabling high-throughput production and unparalleled precision. This fusion of technology and science is key to Amide’s ability to scale its operations and meet the growing needs of the biopharma industry.
The peptide therapeutics market, projected to reach $82.6 billion by 2032, includes well-known drugs for conditions such as Type II diabetes (Mounjaro, Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza), osteoporosis (Forteo), and cancer (Lupron, Zoladex). Amide’s novel manufacturing platform synthesizes otherwise inaccessible peptides at unprecedented speeds. With $16.5 million in funding to date, Amide supports pharmaceutical and peptide therapeutics companies by providing:
- Complex synthesis of peptides with 120+ amino acids, previously unattainable.
- Rapid delivery of peptides within just four days, maintaining a 99% on-time delivery rate.
- Expansive therapeutic potential through access to large and unconventional compounds.
“Peptides are crucial for new drug discovery, yet traditional sourcing methods limit the exploration of diverse amino acid chains. Amide’s innovations in fast and complex peptide synthesis are groundbreaking, and with Dr. Pentelute’s leadership, the company is poised to significantly advance peptide-based drug development,” said Reed Sturtevant, General Partner at The Engine Ventures and Amide Board Member.
Dr. Pentelute has made significant research contributions, leading to the invention of new chemistry and AI methods to modify natural proteins for enhanced therapeutic properties. Amide holds exclusive licensing rights to these technologies through MIT patents. Dr. Pentelute’s accolades include the Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, Amgen Young Investigator Award, and Novartis Early Career Award in Organic Chemistry.
