hormonecontaining

Hormone-containing is a descriptive term used in pharmacology, physiology, and related fields to describe substances that include one or more biological hormones as active components or constituents. Hormones are chemical signals produced by glands or tissues that regulate physiological processes, and when they are present in a product, that product is described as hormone-containing.

In medicine and biomedicine, hormone-containing materials include therapeutic agents and delivery systems. Pharmaceutical formulations can place hormones into tablets, injections, creams, gels, implants, or devices. Common examples include estrogen- or progestin-containing oral contraceptives; thyroid hormone replacements such as levothyroxine; insulin preparations for diabetes; and hydrocortisone or other corticosteroid products used topically or systemically.

IUDs or implants that release hormones are another class of hormone-containing products, designed to provide long-acting hormone exposure. In research, hormone-containing reagents or prepared tissues, such as hormone-rich cell extracts or hormone-containing culture media, are used to study signaling pathways or developmental processes. Biological tissues themselves can be hormone-containing, storing and secreting hormones within secretory granules.

Regulation and safety: because hormones can affect many organ systems, products described as hormone-containing are subject to rigorous evaluation for safety, efficacy, dosing, and potential interactions. Labeling typically specifies the active hormone(s), concentration, and routes of administration. The term is generic and is used descriptively rather than as a formal category.