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Peptide Drug Development

Meaning

Peptide drug development is the specialized pharmaceutical process of discovering, designing, synthesizing, and clinically testing therapeutic agents composed of short chains of amino acids, known as peptides. These drugs are engineered to selectively interact with specific biological targets, such as G-protein coupled receptors or enzyme active sites, often mimicking or antagonizing the action of endogenous hormones or signaling molecules. This area is highly relevant to endocrinology, as many natural hormones, including insulin and GLP-1, are peptides.