Peptide half-life explained
Why many peptides are cleared quickly, and how that's engineered around.
Half-life is the time it takes for the amount of a compound in the body to fall by half. Many natural peptides have very short half-lives — minutes — because the body breaks them down rapidly.
Drug developers extend half-life with modifications such as attaching fatty-acid chains (acylation) or polyethylene glycol (PEGylation), or by designing analogs resistant to the enzymes that degrade the natural peptide. Longer half-life can mean less frequent dosing.
Educational and research reference only. Not medical advice.