§ Glossary · peptide science

Lipopeptide

A peptide covalently attached to a fatty acid chain — extends half-life via albumin binding.

A lipopeptide is a peptide modified with a covalently-attached lipid (typically a C16-C20 fatty acid). The lipid moiety binds reversibly to serum albumin, extending the peptide's plasma half-life dramatically — natural GLP-1 has a 1-2 minute half-life; semaglutide (lipopeptide modification of GLP-1) has a ~7-day half-life. Most modern long-acting peptide drugs are lipopeptides — semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide all use this approach. The trade-off is reduced central nervous system penetration vs the unmodified peptide.

glossary
GLP-1 →

§ Related reading

Glossary
Peptide
A short chain of amino acids — typically 2 to ~50 — joined by peptide bonds.
Glossary
Amino acid sequence
The ordered list of amino acids in a peptide, written N-terminus to C-terminus.
Glossary
Tertiary structure
The 3D fold of a single peptide chain — how it arranges in space.