Peptinovo Biopharma in Collaboration with Chemelectiva Announces Breakthrough Manufacturing Innovation for Targeted Chemotherapy

First-of-its-kind semi-synthetic vitamin E product enables scalable, FDA-compliant production of Peptinovo’s proprietary cancer prodrugs

December 17, 2025 10:10 ET  | Source: Peptinovo Biopharma Inc.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Peptinovo Biopharma, an Ann Arbor–based biotechnology company pioneering targeted cancer therapies through its proprietary PALM™ nanotechnology, today announced a major manufacturing and intellectual property milestone achieved in collaboration with Chemelectiva S.r.l., an Italian specialty pharmaceutical chemistry company. The breakthrough significantly advances Peptinovo’s proprietary prodrug platform for targeted chemotherapy delivery.

Through the collaboration, Peptinovo and Chemelectiva developed and scaled a first-of-its-kind semi-synthetic vitamin E compound that is central to Peptinovo’s technology. The innovation enables FDA-compliant manufacturing at commercial scale, overcoming the limitations of naturally sourced materials and strengthening the platform’s path from clinical development to commercialization. Peptinovo is nearing clinical trials.

“This innovation began with a fundamental challenge,” said Steve Tokarz, CEO of Peptinovo Biopharma. “We needed a reliable, scalable way to manufacture a critical vitamin E–based linker at the heart of our prodrug platform. By creating this chemistry from the ground up with Chemelectiva, we unlocked a defensible, FDA-approvable process that meaningfully advances targeted chemotherapy delivery for patients.”

Placing Peptinovo in the Evolution of Targeted Chemotherapy

Over the past decade, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have represented a major advance in cancer treatment by attaching potent chemotherapy agents to antibodies that recognize specific tumor markers. While ADCs have improved targeting for certain cancers, their complexity, manufacturing challenges, and dependence on specific antigens limit their applicability across tumor types.

Peptinovo’s approach builds on the same goal – delivering chemotherapy more precisely – while using a non-antibody, small-molecule prodrug strategy designed for broader applicability and scalable manufacturing.

A prodrug is an inactive or less active compound that the body converts into its active drug form through metabolic processes. Peptinovo’s platform uses a vitamin E–based linker to temporarily deactivate standard chemotherapeutic agents, allowing them to circulate safely until they reach cancer cells, where the drug is reactivated once inside the cell. This approach preserves therapeutic efficacy while reducing or eliminating many of the side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy.

Unlike antibody-drug conjugates, Peptinovo’s linker chemistry is a simple chemical construct using a single carbon and a single oxygen bond which can be applied to more than 60% of known chemotherapeutic agents as well as new chemotherapies that were once too toxic for patient treatment – significantly expanding its potential across cancer types and indications.

The breakthrough was made possible by Chemelectiva’s development of a novel, patented synthetic route for the vitamin E compound, chemistry that did not previously exist at pharmaceutical manufacturing scale.

“No one had successfully developed a semi-synthetic version of this compound suitable for pharmaceutical production,” Chemelectiva Founder and CEO Graziano Castaldi said. “We designed and patented new synthesis pathways that allow Peptinovo to access this critical molecule at the quality, scale, and cost required for clinical and future commercial use.”

The collaboration, which began in 2021, resulted in patented manufacturing technologies that now form a core component of Peptinovo’s intellectual property portfolio and support both current clinical programs and future pipeline expansion.

“Innovation doesn’t stop at discovery,” Glenn Meyer, Peptinovo Head of Product Development, said. “Manufacturability, scalability, and intellectual property are essential to translating science into real-world impact. This milestone strengthens Peptinovo’s platform and accelerates our ability to deliver better cancer treatments to patients.”

About Peptinovo Biopharma

Peptinovo Biopharma is a privately held biotechnology company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, developing next-generation targeted nanomedicines to enhance the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary PALM™ technology delivers proven chemotherapies directly to tumors while reducing toxicity to healthy tissues, aiming to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients. The company has raised $16.8M to date and is raising additional funds in its current Series A round to expand development of its platform. Peptinovo is reaching a significant inflection point at a very attractive valuation. For more information, go to the company’s Reg CF investor portal. For more information, visit www.peptinovo.com.

Peptinovo Investor Relations Contact
Steve Tokarz
steve.tokarz@peptinovo.com

Peptinovo Media Contact
Katie Merx
katiemerx@gmail.com
+1 313.510.5090