Knowra Active pharmaceutical ingredient Active pharmaceutical ingredient An active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is the substance in a medicine responsible for its intended pharmacological effect. A medicine may contain one or more APIs alongside inactive ingredients.
Pharmaceutical formulation : The design of a medicine’s composition and physical form to enable its manufacture, administration, and performance. Formulation combines an API with other ingredients and shapes how it is delivered.
Pharmacodynamics : The study of how drugs affect biological systems, including their targets, effects, and dose-response relationships. It describes the effects produced when an API acts in the body.
Drug discovery : The process of identifying and developing substances that may prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. Drug discovery identifies candidate substances that may become APIs.
Prodrug : A compound administered in an inactive or less active form that is converted in the body into an active drug. Unlike a directly active ingredient, a prodrug requires conversion to produce its intended effect.
Pharmaceutical quality control : Testing and oversight that verify medicines and their ingredients meet defined identity, strength, purity, and performance standards. API testing helps ensure each batch has the intended identity, potency, and purity.
Excipient : An ingredient in a medicine that is not intended to produce the principal therapeutic effect. Excipients support the API’s stability, manufacture, administration, or release.
Pharmacokinetics : The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and eliminates drugs. It explains how much API reaches its targets and for how long.
Medicinal chemistry : The design and study of chemical compounds to develop medicines and understand their biological effects. Medicinal chemistry modifies candidate molecules to improve their properties as APIs.
Biological product : A medicine derived from or produced using biological sources, such as cells, tissues, or microorganisms. Biological products include APIs whose complexity and production differ from many small-molecule drugs.
Drug shortage : A situation in which the supply of a medicine is insufficient to meet patient demand. Disruptions in API production or supply can leave finished medicines unavailable.
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