Peptides on the Rise: Amphastar’s $453M Leap Into Next-Gen Drugs

Amphastar’s $453M deal with Anji advances peptide drugs for cancer and eye disease

7 Nov 2025

A licensing deal worth up to US$453m between America’s Amphastar and China’s Anji suggests a turning point in the evolution of peptide-based medicines. Announced in August 2025, the agreement gives Amphastar exclusive rights in the United States and Canada to three experimental peptide therapies aimed at treating aggressive cancers and a leading cause of blindness. The move signals growing confidence that peptides, short chains of amino acids, could rival both biologics and small molecules in precision and potency.

At the core of the partnership are three candidates. One is a naturally derived peptide that may inhibit tumour growth. Another links a peptide to docetaxel, a common chemotherapy drug, to improve delivery and safety. The third is an anti-VEGFR peptide formulated as eye drops for wet age-related macular degeneration, which could offer patients an alternative to frequent injections. Amphastar’s boss hailed the collaboration as a leap into “potentially best-in-class peptide assets” across oncology and ophthalmology.

Strategically, the deal marks Amphastar’s shift from a generics producer to a developer of proprietary medicines. Peptides, with their mix of biological precision and chemical scalability, are becoming a favoured middle ground for drugmakers seeking both innovation and manufacturability. Investment across the industry has surged in peptide design, conjugation and delivery technologies.

The risks, however, remain considerable. All three compounds are still preclinical, and peptide drugs face particular hurdles in stability, absorption and regulation. Amphastar’s initial outlay is modest, about US$6m, including US$0.75m in earnest money, while the rest depends on clinical and commercial milestones. Such contingent structures are a reminder of biotech’s long timelines and uncertain pay-offs.

Even so, the tie-up points to a broader trend: global firms seeking partners across borders to advance next-generation therapies. Should Amphastar’s candidates succeed, they could reshape treatment in cancer and eye disease and cement peptides’ place as a mainstay of modern drug development.