Adverse event
An unwanted medical occurrence during a study or treatment. It may or may not have been caused by the product.
Keep the jargon on a short leash
The peptide glossary
Fifteen useful terms, translated into human.
Agonist
A substance that activates a receptor and produces a biological response.
Amino acid
A small molecule used as a building block for peptides and proteins.
Analog
A modified version of a natural or existing molecule, designed to keep or change certain properties.
Clinical trial
A planned study in people designed to answer defined questions about an intervention, outcome, or observation.
Contraindication
A situation in which a product should not be used because the risk is too high.
Endpoint
A result a study is designed to measure, such as a symptom score, lab value, event, or survival.
FDA approval
A regulatory decision for a specific product and use after review of evidence, manufacturing, and labeling.
Half-life
The time it takes for the amount of a substance in the body to fall by about half.
Hormone
A chemical messenger made in one place that can affect cells elsewhere in the body.
Investigational drug
A drug being studied that has not been FDA approved for routine marketing for the proposed use.
Off-label use
Use of an FDA-approved medicine in a way not described in its approved label. It is not the same as an FDA-approved use.
Peptide
A chain of amino acids, generally shorter than a protein, that may have signaling, structural, or other biological roles.
Placebo
An inactive comparison designed to resemble the study intervention, helping researchers separate treatment effects from expectations and other changes.
Receptor
A cellular structure that receives a chemical signal and helps trigger a response.