Novo Nordisk A/S
Novo Nordisk A/S is a globally recognized pharmaceutical leader, headquartered in Denmark, with a long history and specialized focus on antidiabetic medications, including insulins and GLP-1 products. The company is a trailblazer in the oral proteins and peptides market, largely credited with a major milestone: the launch of its resident oral semaglutide product, Rybelsus, in 2019. This product, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, has positioned Novo Nordisk at the forefront of the market, helping it capture a significant share, particularly in the global GLP-1 therapy segment. The company invests extensively in R&D, dedicating substantial capital to strengthening its market position through the development of new oral versions of existing injectable drugs like semaglutide. Novo Nordisk leverages cutting-edge delivery technologies, such as nanoparticle technology, to engineer oral formulations that overcome the challenge of poor bioavailability. This innovative approach ensures that its peptide drugs survive the harsh gastrointestinal environment, enabling efficient absorption and offering patients a more convenient, non-invasive treatment option for chronic conditions like diabetes, thereby significantly improving patient adherence and outcomes worldwide.
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Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company, an American pharmaceutical powerhouse, plays a pivotal and accelerating role in shaping the oral peptide landscape, particularly in the areas of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The company demonstrates deep interest and significant investment in the R&D of next-generation oral incretin-based medications, including oral GLP-1 agonists and insulin analogs. This strategic focus is designed to help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity with greater convenience. In a major move to bolster its capabilities, Lilly purchased Dice Therapeutics for USD 2.4 billion in 2023, underscoring its commitment to advancing oral peptide therapy, especially for treatments like IL-17 inhibitors targeting autoimmune conditions. Furthermore, the company is developing orforglipron, the first nonpeptide oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, which has shown promise in Phase 2 results for chronic weight management in obese or overweight individuals. By accelerating the deployment of next-generation oral peptide candidates through alliances with contract research organizations and academic partners, Eli Lilly is effectively using its comprehensive drug development platforms to expand its competitive advantage and address a wide range of unmet medical needs globally.
Pfizer Inc.
Pfizer Inc. is a leading American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation that has strategically entered the oral proteins and peptides market, leveraging its immense global research network and regulatory expertise. The company’s focus is on bringing advanced oral peptide therapeutics to market using adaptive clinical trial execution and vertically integrated formulation and manufacturing capabilities to enhance accessibility and cost-efficiency. Pfizer’s portfolio includes NURTEC ODT, a CGRP receptor antagonist used for episodic migraines, which was acquired in 2022. Its robust drug pipeline includes Danuglipron, an investigational oral GLP-1 receptor agonist currently in Phase II clinical trials for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Recognizing the significant potential for patient convenience and compliance offered by oral delivery, Pfizer is advancing this late-stage GLP-1 candidate into further clinical testing. The company also supports its oral peptide strategy by exploring cutting-edge drug delivery methods, such as delving into nanotechnology to facilitate targeted drug delivery. Pfizer’s strong emphasis on scalable production and acceleration through the regulatory process reinforces its status as a key market leader driving innovation in the oral peptide drugs industry.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has positioned itself as a frontrunner in the specialized field of oral protein and peptide delivery. The company’s core mission is to redefine chronic disease management, particularly for diabetes, by offering non-invasive alternatives to injections. Oramed has developed the proprietary Protein Oral Delivery (POD™) technology, which is central to its success in this market. The POD™ technology utilizes a unique combination of protective coatings to stabilize proteins and peptides against the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract, along with absorption enhancers that promote effective delivery into the systemic circulation. This platform is being explored for oral insulin solutions, such as its investigational candidate ORMD-0801. In April 2023, ORMD-0801 showed positive top-line results in a Phase 2 clinical trial, demonstrating meaningful reductions in fasting glucose and HbA1c levels among Type 2 diabetes patients. This promising data showcases the drug’s potential as a viable, patient-friendly alternative to injectable insulin. Furthermore, in February 2025, Oramed announced a joint venture to spin off its POD™ technology, underscoring its commitment to transforming the future of oral biologics and chronic disease care.
AbbVie Inc.
AbbVie Inc. holds a significant position among global pharmaceutical companies specializing in the oral proteins and peptides market, with a strategic emphasis on gastrointestinal and neurological diseases. The company offers key oral peptides, such as linaclotide (marketed as LINZESS), which is widely used to treat gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). In a significant development demonstrating its commitment to this area, AbbVie, in collaboration with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, received FDA approval in June 2023 for LINZESS to treat functional constipation in pediatric patients aged 6 to 17. Beyond linaclotide, the company has focused intensively on its pipeline of other oral peptide-like molecules, including atogepant and ubrogepant, to maintain its competitive edge in the market. AbbVie is also proactive in forming strategic partnerships with biotech firms, academic institutions, and contract research organizations. These collaborations are designed to allow the company to access cutting-edge technologies and innovative delivery methods, which are crucial for overcoming the bioavailability challenges inherent in oral protein and peptide administration, thus continually expanding its presence and influence in the market.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. (known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada) is a global pharmaceutical giant recognized for its deep scientific expertise, particularly in the complex area of oral peptide drugs. The company focuses on overcoming the primary challenges of oral delivery through protective peptide coatings and bioavailability enhancers, which are critical for successful market entry. Merck’s cross-functional development platforms integrate formulation and clinical design, facilitating rapid market penetration for its candidates. The company has demonstrated a strong commitment to expanding its oral peptide pipeline through strategic licensing deals. For example, in December 2024, Merck and Hansoh Pharma announced a global licensing agreement for HS-10535, an investigational oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, in a deal valued up to USD 1.9 billion. Furthermore, in April 2025, Merck reinforced its focus on convenient oral tablet forms for peptide drugs through a USD 493 million licensing deal with Cyprumed, an Austria-based drug delivery technology maker. By integrating advanced molecule types and scalable manufacturing, Merck is solidifying its strong position among the oral peptide drug market leaders and accelerating the development of patient-preferred, non-injectable treatments.
Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. is a diversified healthcare leader with a significant and innovative presence in the oral proteins and peptides market, particularly through its focus on next-generation treatments for autoimmune conditions. The company is distinguished by its development of JNJ-2113 (Icotrokinra), the first oral peptide under development for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO). JNJ-2113, an orally administered peptide-based treatment, has shown significant promise by delivering an industry-leading combination of substantial skin clearance with demonstrated tolerability in a once-daily pill format. The encouraging results from the Phase 2b FRONTIER 1 trial were presented in February 2024, and the drug is currently advancing through Phase III clinical trials. This development represents a key step in broadening the therapeutic applications of orally administered peptides beyond metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders and into inflammatory diseases. Johnson & Johnson’s success with this candidate underscores its strategy of investing in innovative peptide therapeutics and leveraging its extensive clinical development capabilities to address unmet medical needs with convenient, patient-preferred oral delivery systems.
Sanofi S.A.
Sanofi S.A. is a major French multinational pharmaceutical company deeply involved in the oral peptide therapeutics market, focusing on collaborative development initiatives and advanced drug delivery systems. The company is dedicated to overcoming bioavailability barriers by harnessing innovative excipient technologies and microencapsulation methods. These advanced formulation techniques allow Sanofi to engineer peptide drugs with enhanced mucosal uptake, leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients. Sanofi’s commitment to the market is also demonstrated through strategic portfolio expansion. In March 2023, Sanofi agreed to acquire Provention Bio, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on preventing immune-mediated illnesses like Type 1 diabetes (T1D). This acquisition was key to adding TZIELD to its portfolio, a disease-modifying medication that can delay T1D progression. By investing in partnerships to advance oral peptide formulations, Sanofi strengthens its capacity to deliver patient-friendly treatments and contributes significantly to both established and emerging markets with a robust supply chain and a commitment to innovation in chronic disease management.
Entera Bio Ltd.
Entera Bio Ltd. is a biotechnology company specializing in overcoming the challenges of oral delivery for large molecules, including peptides and proteins, through its proprietary technology platform, Peptelligence®. The company’s core mission is to transform injectable therapies into convenient, oral tablets by engineering formulations that protect the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the gastrointestinal tract and promote its absorption into the bloodstream. The Peptelligence® platform utilizes an enteric coating to shield the oral tablet from the stomach’s highly acidic environment and incorporates a composition to enhance the permeability of the API for successful intestinal uptake. This technology has been utilized for the clinical development of an oral leuprolide tablet, which offers a potentially more patient-friendly alternative to monthly depot injections for endocrine disorders, as well as an oral difelikefalin formulation for chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP). Furthermore, in February 2023, Entera Bio announced a research collaboration with a top pharmaceutical company to co-develop an oral parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy for osteoporosis, highlighting the growing recognition and application of its proprietary oral delivery technology.
Rani Therapeutics
Rani Therapeutics is an innovative clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on revolutionizing the oral delivery of biologics, including peptides and antibodies, by developing a novel, non-invasive alternative to injection. The company’s key contribution to the oral proteins and peptides market is the RaniPill™ platform, which is an orally ingestible robotic pill. This sophisticated medical device is engineered to autonomously deliver biologics with high bioavailability directly into the intestinal wall, bypassing the harsh, destructive conditions of the stomach and upper GI tract. The RaniPill is designed to autonomously inject the drug payload into the submucosal tissue of the small intestine, a region with high blood flow, allowing for rapid and effective systemic absorption, similar to a subcutaneous injection. In March 2023, Rani Therapeutics unveiled advancements in this platform, having successfully completed a preclinical trial for octreotide, demonstrating controlled delivery and effective absorption. The RaniPill technology addresses the major barriers to oral peptide administration—enzymatic degradation and poor permeability—positioning Rani Therapeutics at the forefront of developing next-generation, patient-preferred oral delivery solutions for a wide range of chronic diseases.
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