A handful of companies are using non-natural amino acids to improve the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profiles of peptides and proteins, but such modifications often alter the surface of the molecule, which can affect its binding profile and other characteristics.

Longevity Biotech Inc. says its rational approach of using non-natural beta amino acids to modify the internal structure of peptides and proteins should be better at preserving a molecule's native biological properties and have lower risk of causing off-target binding and toxicity.