What is Parathyroid-hormone-related protein (PTHrP)?

A PTH-receptor ligand central to development — and to cancer hypercalcemia. Structurally it is Peptide hormone (multiple isoforms, ~139–173 aa).

How strong is the evidence for PTHrP?

PeptideHormone grades PTHrP at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.

What is the half-life of PTHrP?

The reported circulating half-life of PTHrP is ~minutes in plasma (isoform-dependent).

Is PTHrP FDA-approved?

No — as of September 2026, PTHrP is a native hormone with no drug product of its own, though engineered analogs may be approved. No PTHrP product; its analog abaloparatide (Tymlos, 2017) is approved for osteoporosis. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.

Parathyroid-hormone-related proteinPTHrP

A PTH-receptor ligand central to development — and to cancer hypercalcemia.

EndogenousEstablishedEndogenous signal

A developmental signal that speaks through PTH's receptor — and, when a tumour reactivates it, the same words in the wrong context.

Identity

Class: Peptide hormone (multiple isoforms, ~139–173 aa)
Source: Many tissues (paracrine); some tumors
Receptor: PTH1 receptor (PTH1R) — shared with PTH

Key properties

Evidence floorPreclinicalREF1PRE1

Molecular weight

≈ 17,000 Da

REF

Half-life (native)

~minutes in plasma (isoform-dependent)

PRE

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

PTHrP shares PTH's N-terminus and acts on the same PTH1 receptor, but functions largely as a local (paracrine) signal in development — notably in cartilage and bone growth. When tumors secrete it systemically, it drives the most common form of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

Reference notes

PTHrP and PTH act on the same receptor but in different contexts — development vs minute-to-minute calcium control.
Tumor secretion of PTHrP is the leading cause of hypercalcemia of malignancy.
It is essential to normal endochondral bone growth.

Regulatory status

United States · reviewed September 2026

Endogenous signalPTHrP is a native hormone with no drug product of its own, though engineered analogs may be approved.

Basis: No PTHrP product; its analog abaloparatide (Tymlos, 2017) is approved for osteoporosis.

Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.

Common questions

What is Parathyroid-hormone-related protein (PTHrP)?: A PTH-receptor ligand central to development — and to cancer hypercalcemia. Structurally it is Peptide hormone (multiple isoforms, ~139–173 aa).
How does PTHrP work?: PTHrP shares PTH's N-terminus and acts on the same PTH1 receptor, but functions largely as a local (paracrine) signal in development — notably in cartilage and bone growth. When tumors secrete it systemically, it drives the most common form of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.
How strong is the evidence for PTHrP?: PeptideHormone grades PTHrP at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of PTHrP?: The reported circulating half-life of PTHrP is ~minutes in plasma (isoform-dependent).
Is PTHrP FDA-approved?: No — as of September 2026, PTHrP is a native hormone with no drug product of its own, though engineered analogs may be approved. No PTHrP product; its analog abaloparatide (Tymlos, 2017) is approved for osteoporosis. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.

In the literature

Live registry counts · retrieved 2026-09-15

Registered trialsREF

141 recruiting

Ph 17
Ph 25
Ph 31
Ph 40

Open on ClinicalTrials.gov

Searched as Parathyroid-hormone-related protein, PTHrP. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on PTHrP, not how it turned out.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

1.Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and malignancy · Vitamins and hormones, 2022 · PMID 35953108
2.Parathyroid hormone-related protein · Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences, 1995 · PMID 7495499

External references

PTHrP in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.