From One Peptide Drug to Eighty: A Century of Growth Since Insulin
The 1923 Prize That Started the Class
In 1923, Frederick Banting and John Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of insulin.
Insulin is a peptide, a short chain of amino acids, and its discovery marked the beginning of peptides as a distinct category of injectable medicine.
Before insulin, there was no established pathway for turning a peptide hormone into a manufactured drug. Its success set the pattern that later peptide medicines would follow.
How the Count Reached More Than 80
A 2021 review in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery counted more than 80 peptide drugs that have reached the market since insulin.
The review found these drugs span diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and other disease areas, showing that the peptide class expanded well beyond its original use in blood sugar management.
The growth from one peptide drug in 1923 to more than 80 by 2021 spans roughly a century, reflecting slow but steady progress in isolating, synthesising and stabilising peptide compounds for clinical use.
A Second Count From 2018 Tells a Similar Story
A 2018 review in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry counted over 60 peptide drugs approved in the United States and other major markets.
The same review found over 150 peptides in active clinical development at that time, suggesting the pipeline of candidate peptide medicines was substantially larger than the number already approved.
The difference between the 2018 count of over 60 and the 2021 count of more than 80 reflects new approvals granted in the intervening years, not a change in how peptides were counted.
What This Means for Access in Australia
Most peptides that reach the market are prescription-only medicines in Australia, meaning a doctor's assessment and prescription are required before a patient can access them through legitimate channels.
This regulatory structure exists because peptide drugs, including insulin itself, carry risks that require monitoring, and because manufacturing quality varies between sources.
The historical arc from a single Nobel Prize-winning discovery in 1923 to a class of more than 80 drugs by 2021 shows how a scientific breakthrough can take generations to fully translate into a diverse range of therapeutic options.
Most peptides are prescription-only medicines in Australia. This article reports published research and regulation for general education and is not medical advice. Speak to your doctor.
Sources
- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1923: Banting and Macleod, for the discovery of insulin
- Trends in peptide drug discovery (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2021)
- Therapeutic peptides: historical perspectives, current development trends, and future directions (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2018)