This review presents the scope of research presented in an October 2016 lecture pertaining to the award of the 2015 Max Bergmann Medal. The advancement in synthetic and biosynthetic chemistry as applied to the discovery of novel macromolecular drug candidates is reviewed. The evolution of the technology from the design, synthesis, and development of the first biosynthetic peptides through the emergence of peptide-based incretin agonists that function by multiple biological mechanisms is exemplified by the progression of such peptides from preclinical to clinical study. A closing section highlights recent progress made in total chemical synthesis of insulin and related peptides.
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