Peptides and oligonucleotides: Feedstocks
Why solvents, not amino acids, make up most of the mass
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.The building blocks are protected amino acids, phosphoramidites and resins, but the mass is mostly solvent: DMF, NMP, DCM, acetonitrile and TFA. Solvent supply, recovery and disposal costs matter as much as building block prices. Producers with solvent recovery and access to acetonitrile (a by-product of acrylonitrile) have an edge.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protected amino acids (Fmoc) and phosphoramidites | several kg per kg API, with excess per coupling (indicative) | building blocks | large (indicative) | qualitative |
| Oil Crude oil | most of PMI of 4,300-13,000 kg per kg | reaction and wash media, chromatography | not published | Pharma's Almanac (2025) |
| F Fluorspar | not published | cleavage and HPLC modifier | not published | qualitative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Cost is driven by purification yield and solvent recovery. Large, dedicated GLP-1 lines (originators, Bachem) are cheapest; Chinese generic peptide makers compete on price for off-patent molecules.