The time required for the plasma concentration of a substance to decrease by half.
Used to predict dosing frequency. A peptide with a half-life of ~7 days (e.g. semaglutide) supports once-weekly dosing; one with a half-life of ~26 minutes (e.g. tesamorelin) requires daily injection.
Compounds where this term is relevant
- Semaglutide · GLP-1 receptor agonist · once-weekly subcutaneous
- Tirzepatide · Dual GIP / GLP-1 receptor agonist · once-weekly subcutaneous
- Tesamorelin · Synthetic GHRH analogue · stimulates pituitary GH release · daily subcutaneous
Related terms
- Cmax · The maximum plasma concentration of a drug after administration.
- AUC · Area Under the Curve — total drug exposure over time, calculated by integrating …
- Clearance · The volume of plasma cleared of a substance per unit time, typically expressed i…
- Bioavailability · The fraction of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation in unchan…