Peptide Half-Life Comparison Chart

Peptide half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a peptide to decrease by 50% after administration. It is a critical pharmacokinetic parameter that determines how long a peptide remains active in the body. Short half-life peptides are cleared rapidly and often require frequent dosing, while long half-life peptides can sustain therapeutic levels for days with less frequent administration. Half-life is influenced by factors such as molecular size, PEGylation, albumin binding, and route of administration.

Half-life is the primary factor determining how often a peptide must be administered. As a general rule, peptides with ultra-short half-lives (under 30 minutes), such as Sermorelin or GHRP-6, require daily or even multiple-daily subcutaneous injections. Medium half-life peptides (several hours) like Ipamorelin are typically dosed once daily. Long half-life compounds like Semaglutide (7 days) or Tirzepatide (5 days) only need weekly injections. Some peptides like MK-677 are taken orally once daily due to their 24-hour half-life and oral bioavailability.

The longest-acting peptides are primarily GLP-1 receptor agonists and modified compounds. Tesofensine has the longest half-life at approximately 220 hours (9+ days). CJC-1295 with DAC lasts 8+ days (192 hours) due to Drug Affinity Complex technology. Semaglutide has a 7-day (168 hour) half-life, followed by Cagrilintide (7+ days), Retatrutide (~6 days), Survodutide (~6 days), Tirzepatide (~5 days), and Dulaglutide (~5 days). These extended half-lives are typically achieved through fatty acid conjugation, PEGylation, or albumin binding to resist enzymatic degradation.