Hormones and related drugs from "summary" of Introduction to General Pharmacology by T. Z. Csáky

Drugs that act on hormones can be used to treat conditions caused by imbalanced hormone production/secretion or disrupted endocrine systems, such as hypothyroidism, infantile spasms, anovulation/lack of ovulation, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, hypergonadotropic amenorrhea, etc.

In addition to treating hormonal diseases, drugs acting on hormones are also used to treat common illnesses like colds, bacterial infections, fever, agitation, and depression. They are also often utilized in certain kinds of cancer treatments and fertility management.

Hormones form one of the most important classes of drugs in modern pharmacology and have been playing a major role in healthcare since the 1930s. They are responsible for many bodily functions including metabolism, growth, reproduction, energy balance, response to stressors, and others.

Examples of pharmaceutical agents used in hormone therapy include insulin, steroids (crosslinked peptides, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids), thyroid hormones (TSH receptor agonists, thyroid hormone synthesis inhibitors), gonadal hormones and synthetic GnRH analogues, estrogen and progesterone, dopamine and serotonin agonists, etc.

Many hormones and related compounds can be synthesized in the laboratory or sourced directly from natural sources such as plants and animals. They come in two broad categories – steroidal and non-steroidal – with different mechanisms of action.

The efficacy and safety of these drugs depend on numerous factors, such as dosage, route of administration, individual patient's condition, and possible interactions between drug(s) and other medication taken. It is hence imperative to determine precise dosing instructions tailored to each case.