Markus Muttenthaler, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, has been awarded the international Evotec Prize for Excellence in Molecular Design from the French “Société de Chimie Thérapeutique”.

He was selected for his groundbreaking contributions towards developing a novel class of oral peptide drugs for chronic abdominal pain management. “Our approach opens new avenues for developing oral peptide therapeutics targeting localised receptors, which could fundamentally change the treatment landscape for gastrointestinal disorders”, says Prof. Muttenthaler.

Gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) together affect >10 % of the global population and are the main drivers of abdominal pain. So far, pain management remains challenging as prescribed analgesics are poorly effective, and opioid-based medication is accompanied by problematic side effects.

Markus Muttenthaler and his research team developed a series of gut-stable oxytocin analogues that act locally within the gastrointestinal tract by targeting the oxytocin receptor and are upregulated in chronic abdominal pain. These analogues are structurally optimised to withstand the digestive environment, providing effective pain relief directly at the site of pain without the systemic absorption that leads to side effects. His research also paves the way for future development of oral peptide therapeutics for treating gastrointestinal disorders.