Potency
Potency refers to the measure of drug activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity. A highly potent drug (e.g., fentanyl, nicotine, or LSD) evokes a given response at low concentrations, while a drug of lower potency (e.g., ibuprofen) calls for higher concentrations to evoke the same response.
Factors Influencing Potency[edit | edit source]
Potency is influenced by various factors including the affinity (the ability of the drug to bind to its receptor), efficacy (the relationship between receptor occupancy and the ability to initiate a response at the molecular, cellular, tissue or system level) and the concentration of the drug at the receptor site.
Potency vs Efficacy[edit | edit source]
Potency should not be confused with efficacy. Efficacy refers to the maximum response achievable from a drug, while potency is the amount of drug needed to elicit a desired response. A drug can have high potency but low efficacy and vice versa.
Measurement of Potency[edit | edit source]
Potency is usually measured in terms of the concentration or amount of drug required to produce 50% of the drug's maximal effect (EC50). This is also known as the half maximal effective concentration.
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Potency Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD