AI makeover for legacy pills

After nearly three decades as an engineer, Venkatasubramanian Narayanan shifted to biology – drug discovery and development, to be precise. Two reasons spurred the change: first, it was an opportunity to do more impactful work; second, the growing role of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and computational biology in drug discovery opened new possibilities for engineers like him in the field.

Narayanan and three others started Peptris Technologies in 2019. Incubated at the Bengaluru-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Peptris develops AI-based computational tools that enable discovery of new drugs and new use cases for existing drugs. Peptris developed its first drug — PEPR124 — in March 2026 to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle wasting and weakness. A gene called dystrophin is dysfunctional in people with DMD; PEPR124 was found to increase the activity of another protein called utrophin, which acts as a surrogate for dystrophin. Peptris out-licensed the drug to the U.S.-based Revio Therapeutics so it can move into clinical trials.

This is the first time an Indian drug company has out-licensed a drug identified using an AI platform. Importantly, PEPR124 is not a new drug; it is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved existing generic drug with a good safety profile, and a therapeutic for another disease. It was repurposed after AI and lab-based analysis showed its potential to effectively alleviate DMD symptoms. Peptris's drug discovery pipeline has more repurposed drugs in the works. The start-up is not alone; repurposing is a popular strategy among companies in the drug discovery field.