Tag: Natural vs synthetic

With more than 85 million prescriptions filled in 2023, metformin is a cornerstone of diabetes care, but its origins are rooted in a humble plant. The medication traces its lineage to the 'French lilac drug,' a traditional herbal remedy derived from the *Galega officinalis* plant.

First synthesized in 1967, desmopressin is a man-made version of a natural hormone, but it has no exact natural equivalent. The development of desmopressin was a significant pharmacological advancement, engineering a molecule with improved therapeutic properties over the natural substance.