Clovertex’s May Target of the Month is B-Raf, a serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role...
Clovertex’s October Target of the Month is human serum albumin, the body’s most abundant circulating protein and a workhorse for half-life extension. This follows Pfizer and Novo Nordisk’s high-stakes bidding war for Metsera, a biotech built around the HALO™ platform. HALO enables peptides to bind both albumin and their therapeutic target, effectively hitching a ride on albumin to dramatically extend drug half-life while maintaining potency.
Pfizer ultimately secured the deal, reportedly valuing Metsera at up to $10 billion. What sets HALO apart, especially in the competitive obesity and metabolic space, is its potential for true once-monthly dosing, a leap beyond the weekly injections typical of current GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide. While those drugs also bind albumin, they do so using fatty acid side chains that allow for loose, transient association, resulting in half-lives of about 5 to 7 days. In contrast, HALO builds high-affinity albumin binding directly into the peptide structure, creating stronger and more stable interactions. This can push half-lives closer to albumin’s own 19-day circulation time, opening the door to monthly or even less frequent dosing.
The Protein Imager rendering displays the crystal structure of human serum albumin (PDB entry 1AO6).
About Clovertex
Clovertex is an industry leader specializing in meeting the scientific IT needs of pharmaceutical companies, with a robust focus on cloud-based or on-premises cryo-EM processing. As an Advanced Tier Services Partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Clovertex leverages its comprehensive expertise to architect, build, automate, and manage software applications designed to meet specific research needs. Our all-encompassing solutions are meticulously tailored to streamline the complex processes associated with pharmaceutical research, underscoring our commitment to innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. By integrating state-of-the-art technology with deep scientific understanding, Clovertex paves the way in optimizing the intersection of information technology and pharmaceutical development.
Useful links
1. Pfizer wins $10 billion bidding war for Metsera as Novo Nordisk exits
2. Clovertex website
