Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry

Biopharmaceuticals, or protein-based drugs, have been established as safe and effective treatments for various diseases. The first generation of these therapies primarily mimicked native human proteins or blocked their functions using monoclonal antibodies. However, recent innovations in biopharmaceutical design have expanded beyond these limitations. These advancements include computational techniques for altering protein structures, enhanced screening methods for synthesizing and testing new protein libraries, and novel approaches to modifying proteins both post-translationally and during production. Now, protein drug structure and function can be fine-tuned similarly to how small molecules are optimized through medicinal chemistry. This review explores the latest developments in the field of protein ‘medicinal biology’ and illustrates how these tools are being used to create the next generation of biopharmaceuticals with improved drug properties and novel functionalities.