A group of people

Glossary of terms

H

Head-to-Head Study

A clinical trial in which two different medicines are directly compared with each other with respect to their effect on a marker of the disease or a specific event associated with the disease. (For drugs under development, this is often a comparison with a marketed drug that is seen to be the gold standard.)

High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C)

Cholesterol carried in the blood by HDL back to the liver, sometimes referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol.

High-Throughput Screening

The process of using automated tests to search quickly through large numbers of substances for desired binding or activity characteristics.

HKAPI

Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Hormone

A chemical messenger carried in the blood which produces a biological effect at its site of action.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

A group of viruses that can cause cervical cancer.

Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)

A water pill (thiazide diuretic) that helps prevent the body from absorbing too much salt, which can cause fluid retention.

Hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs)

New propellants for metered-dose inhalers that are more environmentally friendly than the current CFC-based inhalers.

Hyperglycaemic

The condition of abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood.

Hypertension

High blood pressure.