Neuland secures development collaboration with LIR Life Sciences for transdermal GLP-1

Hyderabad-based Neuland Laboratories, a global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) specialising in complex APIs, has entered into a development partnership with LIR Life Sciences Corp, a Canada‑based biotechnology company focused on scalable and accessible obesity treatments, in advancing its cell‑penetrating peptide (CPP) platform.

As part of this engagement, Neuland will develop, test, and manufacture CPPs to support pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) studies, as well as Phase I formulations for LIR Life’s transdermal GLP‑1/GIP programme. 

LIR Life is developing a patch-based, transdermal delivery system for GLP-1 therapies targeting obesity. Unlike traditional injectable formulations, the platform is designed to enable non-invasive administration, with the potential to improve patient adherence and broaden access. Currently, there are no approved transdermal GLP-1 therapies, positioning this approach as a potentially significant innovation in the treatment landscape.

For Neuland, the partnership highlights its expanding capabilities in peptide development and manufacturing, particularly in complex and emerging modalities such as CPP-enabled delivery systems. The company supports peptide programs from early development through commercial scale, with integrated capabilities spanning process development, scale-up, and cGMP manufacturing.

The collaboration builds on Neuland’s recent investments in peptide infrastructure, including a new $20 million process development laboratory and a multi-phase commercial peptide manufacturing facility at its Bonthapally campus in Hyderabad. Module one of the peptide facility, representing an investment of approximately $30 million and 6,370 litres of capacity, is expected to become operational by mid-2026.