API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient)

An Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) is the main substance in a medicine that provides the intended health benefit, such as relief from pain or infection. It is the core chemical responsible for a drug's effect, and it is combined with non-active ingredients (excipients) to create the final medication. APIs are manufactured through complex chemical or biological processes in specialized facilities and are then used by pharmaceutical companies to produce medicines. Essentially, the API is the essential “active part” that makes a drug effective in treating or managing health conditions.