Fujifilm Develops Novel Screening Platform to Identify High-Affinity Cyclic Peptides for Challenging Membrane Protein Targets

Innovative approach expands drug discovery possibilities for targets beyond the reach of conventional method

To be presented at TIDES USA 2026

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FUJIFILM Corporation announced today that it has developed an innovative screening methodology for cyclic peptides exhibiting high affinity toward membrane proteins¹. This new technology enables Fujifilm to offer cyclic peptide discovery services targeting challenging membrane proteins, including multi-pass transmembrane proteins², which represent complex drug targets. The results of this study are scheduled to be presented at TIDES USA, an exhibition from May 11 to 14, 2026, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cyclic peptides, including those containing unnatural amino acids, are emerging as a promising new modality in drug discovery due to unique characteristics such as high affinity, tissue permeability, and synthetic versatility. Since 2023, Fujifilm has been providing peptide discovery services utilizing its proprietary mRNA display technology. However, previous screening approaches required the isolation and purification of drug target proteins. Some targets, such as multi-pass transmembrane proteins, often lose their native three-dimensional structures during isolation, posing a significant limitation to obtaining sufficient screening outcomes. Furthermore, using live cells that express multi-pass transmembrane proteins on their surface for peptide discovery can pose challenges because mRNA tags in libraries are prone to degradation in cell culture media under previous methods.

To overcome these challenges, Fujifilm has designed a novel peptide library in which mRNA tags are resistant to degradation in cell culture media, enabling direct screening of peptides binding to targets’ multi-pass transmembrane proteins expressed on the surface of living cells. Using this approach, Fujifilm successfully identified peptides that specifically bind to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)³, a class of multi-pass transmembrane proteins, exclusively on the target-expressing cell lines. This newly developed screening technology is expected to significantly expand the possibilities for targeting membrane proteins that have thus far been challenging for peptide discovery, thereby supporting customers’ diverse needs in drug discovery research.

Exhibition Information
Venue: Hynes Convention Center, Boston
Poster Number: #129
Access: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA
Dates: May 11 – May 14, 2026
TIDES USA Official Website: TIDES USA: Oligonucleotide and Peptide Therapeutics

Fujifilm is expanding its drug discovery services for peptide therapeutics globally, providing a wide range of contract research services focusing on peptide discovery, high-throughput screening, and structural optimization. Fujifilm’s one-stop comprehensive service includes peptide chemical synthesis and target protein expression and purification to meet diverse research demands. Fujifilm is committed to driving research and development that fosters technological innovation in the healthcare field by leveraging the ability of cyclic peptides to regulate cellular functions and their specific molecular recognition capabilities to contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical development of peptide therapeutics.

For more information please visit: Discovery service of diverse and high-affinity cyclic peptides utilizing mRNA display technology

About Fujifilm’s Drug Discovery Support CRO Business

The Fujifilm Group leverages its advanced AI technologies and biotechnological expertise, cultivated through a diverse range of business fields, to provide advanced and comprehensive solutions for full-scale drug discovery support CRO services to pharmaceutical companies and biotech ventures. These services span the discovery of new drug candidates to the evaluation of their efficacy and safety. We offer specialized peptide discovery services using mRNA display technology, as well as products from FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc., a leading company in iPS cell technology. Guided by our "Partners for Life" principle, Fujifilm is committed to being a true partner to pharmaceutical companies and patients, contributing to the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry. For more details, please visit: https://global.fujifilm.com/en/healthcare-life-sciences/cro

¹ Proteins located in the cell membrane that is responsible for signal transduction and the transport of substances from outside the cell.
² Membrane proteins whit a structure that spans the cell membrane multiple times; due to its complex structure, it is considered difficult to analyze and screen for drug discovery research.
³ G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are crucial drug targets characterized as seven-transmembrane domain membrane proteins important in pharmaceutical research.