The fraction of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation in unchanged form.
Defined as 100% for intravenous administration. Oral peptides typically have bioavailability below 1% due to gastric degradation and poor membrane permeability — a key reason most therapeutic peptides are injectable. Semaglutide's oral formulation (Rybelsus) uses the absorption enhancer SNAC to push bioavailability to ~1%.
Compounds where this term is relevant
- Semaglutide · GLP-1 receptor agonist · once-weekly subcutaneous
Related terms
- AUC · Area Under the Curve — total drug exposure over time, calculated by integrating …
- Cmax · The maximum plasma concentration of a drug after administration.
- Subcutaneous · Injection into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin, typically in the abdomen,…
- Oral · Administration by mouth, with absorption through the gastrointestinal tract.