Analog comparison
Put a native hormone next to the analogs engineered from it — or compare any molecules in the catalog. The same receptor, a different half-life: see how protease resistance and acylation stretch a peptide’s duration from minutes to days while the underlying mechanism stays the same.
| Type | Endogenous | Analog |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Established | Clinical |
| Family | Melanocortins | Melanocortins |
| Class | POMC-derived peptide (13 aa) | Cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin agonist (α-MSH analog) |
| Receptor | Melanocortin receptors MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, MC5R | Melanocortin receptors (MC4R, with MC1R activity) |
| Molecular weight | ~1,664.9 Da | ~1,025.2 Da |
| Half-life | ||
| Based on | Native hormone | Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone |
Half-life bars are on a logarithmic scale across the molecules shown, so a minutes-long native peptide and a once-weekly analog stay legible together. Reference values for the native or representative form — educational only, not medical or dosing advice.
How to read a lineage
Most engineered peptides are not new mechanisms — they are durability solutions. An analog usually binds the same receptor as its native hormone; what changes is how long it survives in circulation. Native GLP-1 is cleared by DPP-4 in a minute or two, while its acylated analogs bind albumin and persist for days.
Reading left to right along a lineage, watch three columns: receptor (often identical — the mechanism is conserved), molecular weight (analogs are deliberately larger, carrying fatty-acid chains), and half-life (the payoff — the engineering target).
Want the dosing consequences of those half-lives? Each molecule links straight into the half-life & dosing calculator.
Reference-grade approximations for the native or representative form of each molecule. Engineered formulations (depots, extended-release) differ substantially. Educational only — not medical advice, dosing guidance, or a recommendation to use any substance.