Neuland Laboratories, a global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) specialising in complex Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), has entered into a development partnership with Canada-based biotechnology company LIR Life Sciences to support advancement of its Cell-Penetrating Peptide (CPP) platform for obesity treatment.

Under the agreement, Neuland will undertake the development, testing and manufacturing of CPPs for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies, while also supporting phase I formulations for LIR Life’s transdermal GLP-1/GIP therapy programme.

LIR Life Sciences is developing a non-invasive, patch-based transdermal delivery system for GLP-1 therapies aimed at obesity management. The platform is designed as an alternative to injectable treatments, with the potential to improve patient convenience, adherence and accessibility. At present, there are no approved transdermal GLP-1 therapies in the market, making the programme a potentially significant innovation in obesity care.

The collaboration further highlights Neuland Laboratories’ growing capabilities in peptide development and manufacturing, especially in advanced modalities such as CPP-enabled drug delivery systems. The company provides end-to-end support for peptide programmes, including process development, scale-up and currenSt Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing.

LIR Life Sciences stated that Neuland’s expertise in peptide manufacturing at both small and large scales will support the precision and consistency required for early-stage platform development.

The partnership also builds on Neuland’s recent investments in peptide infrastructure, including a new USD 20 million process development laboratory and a multi-phase commercial peptide manufacturing facility at its Bonthapally campus in Hyderabad. The first module of the peptide facility, with an investment of around USD 30 million and capacity of 6,370 litres, is expected to become operational by mid-2026.

Neuland Laboratories noted that the collaboration reflects the increasing global demand for CDMO partners capable of advancing complex peptide-based therapies and emerging delivery technologies. The company expects the partnership to strengthen its position in the growing peptide therapeutics segment while supporting innovation in obesity treatment solutions.