What do these words mean?

Peptide

Protein building blocks joined together in a small chain.

Thymosin alpha-1

A peptide first discovered in a chest gland called the thymus. That gland helps the body’s defences develop.

Thymalfasin

The medicine name for the man-made form of thymosin alpha-1.

FDA approval

The Food and Drug Administration reviews evidence for a particular medicine and use. As of September 28, 2026, no US thymosin alpha-1 product has that approval.

Prescribing label

The full official medicine instructions for health professionals. It is different from the sticker on a medicine bottle. As of September 28, 2026, thymosin alpha-1 has no FDA-approved prescribing label.

Orphan-drug status

Support for developing medicines for rare conditions. It is not drug approval. As of September 28, 2026, the orphan-drug status given to thymalfasin had not led to an approved medicine.

Compounding / compounded

A pharmacist, doctor or registered facility makes or changes medicine for one patient. This is called compounding; the medicine made this way is compounded.

Official drug standard

A written description of what a medicine ingredient must be like. As of September 28, 2026, no such standard applies to thymosin alpha-1.

Category 1 / temporary policy

A temporary FDA list of ingredients under review. When pharmacies meet its guidance conditions, the FDA does not intend to act against their use of these ingredients. This policy does not itself make the practice lawful.

Category 3

A group on the FDA’s ingredient lists where requests lacked enough information for review. It is outside the temporary policy of not taking action. As of September 28, 2026, thymosin alpha-1 is in this group on the list for larger registered facilities.

Outsourcing facility

A facility registered with the FDA to prepare batches of sterile medicines. Sterile means free of germs. These facilities often supply clinics and hospitals.

Nominated but withdrawn

A request to allow an ingredient was taken back. Withdrawing the request for thymosin alpha-1 did not permit a pharmacy to make medicine from it, as of September 28, 2026.

Telehealth

A visit by video, phone or an online exchange without sharing a room.

Clinician

A doctor or another licensed health professional who assesses patients.

State medical board

The body responsible for doctor licences in a state; it publishes licence status and records of penalties for breaking professional rules.

Public actions / disciplinary record

Records of penalties, limits on practice or charges still being considered by a licensing board. What the board publishes varies by state.

State board of pharmacy

The body responsible for pharmacy licences in a state; it offers a public search of pharmacy records.

NDC

National Drug Code: a code that identifies a drug-directory entry. The FDA says this code is not evidence of product approval as of September 26, 2026.

Bulk ingredient

Raw material used to make medicine. As of September 28, 2026, the thymosin alpha-1 entries checked in the FDA drug directory were powders, not finished medicines ready to give to patients.

Research label

Words such as “research use only” and “not for human consumption” on a product. In letters issued in 2026, the FDA said such words did not cancel evidence that sellers were offering products for people to use as drugs.

Cryptocurrency

Digital money. As of September 26, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission warned that a seller who insists on payment only by this or other unusual methods may be running a scam.

Immunogenicity

A reaction in which the body’s defences treat an injected substance as an invader.

Placebo

A dummy treatment used as a comparison in a study.

Formulary

The medicine list used by a health insurance plan to decide what it pays for.

Prior authorization

The plan’s agreement to pay, obtained in advance.

MedWatch

The FDA service that accepts reports of medicine problems from patients, consumers and health professionals.

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