Peptide guides
What each research peptide is, what the published research actually shows (and what kind of study it was), and its regulatory status, with links to the papers. Each guide also shows which suppliers list it and at what price. New to the subject? Start with what research peptides are.
By research goal
- Peptides for weight loss9 compounds, the research and live prices
- Peptides for muscle growth8 compounds, the research and live prices
- Peptides for skin5 compounds, the research and live prices
- Peptides for hair growth2 compounds, the research and live prices
- Peptides for healing and recovery5 compounds, the research and live prices
Copper peptides
- GHK-CuCopper tripeptide-1 · Copper peptide GHKGHK-Cu is a complex of copper with the three-amino-acid peptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK), a molecule first found in human blood plasma in the 1970s. It is best known as a skin-care ingredient and has been studied mainly in cell culture and animal wound models, with a handful of small human trials of topical products. Injected GHK-Cu has no published human trial data.804 suppliers28 studies cited
- AHK-CuCopper tripeptide AHK · Alanyl-histidyl-lysine copperAHK-Cu is a copper complex of the tripeptide alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, sold as a cosmetic and research ingredient for hair growth. It is a close relative of GHK-Cu, the copper peptide found in human plasma, but unlike GHK it does not occur naturally in the body and has far less research behind it. The published evidence amounts to one laboratory study on cultured human hair follicles and dermal papilla cells; there are no animal or human studies of AHK-Cu, and none of injecting it.200 suppliers12 studies cited
Synthetic gastric peptides
Mitochondrial peptides
- MOTS-cMOTSc · MOTS cMOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, first described in 2015. In mice it improved insulin sensitivity, protected against diet-induced weight gain and increased running capacity, and in people its levels rise during exercise. No clinical trial of MOTS-c itself has published results, it is not an approved medicine, and it is prohibited in sport.762 suppliers28 studies cited
- SS-31Elamipretide · SS31SS-31, developed as the drug elamipretide, is a small synthetic peptide that concentrates in mitochondria and binds cardiolipin, a lipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane. It became the first approved treatment for the rare genetic disorder Barth syndrome when the FDA granted accelerated approval in September 2025, but a phase 3 trial in primary mitochondrial myopathy did not meet its goals. SS-31 sold online as a research peptide is not the approved product.485 suppliers20 studies cited
- HumaninHN · HNGHumanin is a 24-amino-acid peptide encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, discovered in 2001 in a search for something that protected brain cells from Alzheimer’s-related damage. It was the first mitochondrial-derived peptide found, and levels in human blood fall with age and track several measures of health. Almost all of the treatment evidence comes from cells and animals, usually using the more potent analogue S14G-humanin rather than humanin itself, and no trial has given humanin to people.72 suppliers20 studies cited
Other compounds sold by peptide stores
- NAD+NAD · Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotideNAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It is a nucleotide, not a peptide, but peptide stores sell it as injectable vials and nasal sprays alongside peptides. Oral precursors such as NR and NMN raise NAD+ levels in human trials, whereas the evidence for NAD+ injections is limited to small pharmacokinetic and tolerability studies, with no controlled trial of clinical benefit.729 suppliers19 studies cited
- 5-Amino-1MQ5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium · 5-Amino 1MQ5-amino-1MQ is a small synthetic molecule, not a peptide, that blocks an enzyme called nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). In obese mice it reduced body weight and fat without lowering food intake, and in old mice it improved muscle regeneration and grip strength. No human trial has been registered or published, it is not an approved medicine, and every result described here comes from animal or cell studies.471 suppliers18 studies cited
- GlutathioneL-Glutathione · Reduced glutathioneGlutathione is a tripeptide made of glutamate, cysteine and glycine that every cell uses as an antioxidant. It is sold as injectable vials, IV drips, capsules and creams, most often for skin lightening. Small trials suggest oral and topical glutathione can modestly lower skin melanin, but there is almost no controlled evidence for glutathione injections for skin lightening, and the US FDA and the Philippine FDA have warned against them.390 suppliers20 studies cited
- SLU-PP-332SLU PP 332 · SLUPP-332SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small molecule, not a peptide, that switches on the estrogen-related receptors (ERRα, ERRβ and ERRγ), proteins that control energy production in muscle and heart. In mice it increased endurance, raised energy expenditure and reduced fat, which is why it is called an “exercise mimetic”. It has never been tested in people, it is not an approved medicine, and its developers describe it as poorly absorbed when taken by mouth.238 suppliers15 studies cited
- AICARAcadesine · 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotideAICAR (acadesine) is a small nucleoside analogue, not a peptide, that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the enzyme that senses low energy in cells. It became famous in 2008 when four weeks of AICAR alone raised the running endurance of sedentary mice by 44%, and it has been on the WADA Prohibited List ever since. In people it was studied by intravenous infusion for heart surgery and leukaemia, where a 4,043-patient meta-analysis was positive but a later 3,000-patient trial was not. It is not an approved medicine anywhere.141 suppliers14 studies cited
- L-CarnitineLevocarnitine · CarnitineL-Carnitine (levocarnitine) is a small amino-acid derivative that the body makes and that meat supplies, and its job is to carry long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria so they can be burned. It is a licensed prescription medicine for carnitine deficiency in the UK and the US, a legal food supplement at oral doses, and, in the form of injectable vials sold by peptide stores, an unlicensed injectable marketed for fat loss. It is not a peptide. The trial record shows a modest average weight loss of around a kilogram in overweight adults, a muscle carnitine rise that took months of oral dosing with carbohydrate, and a gut-bacteria concern about TMAO that is still being argued over.112 suppliers9 studies cited
- CerebrolysinCerebrolysin is a mixture of low-molecular-weight peptides and free amino acids made by enzymatic digestion of pig brain protein, manufactured by Ever Pharma in Austria and given as an intravenous infusion. It is a licensed medicine for stroke, dementia and brain injury in Austria, Russia, China, South Korea and a number of other countries, and it is not licensed in the UK, the US or by the EMA. Its largest stroke trial was neutral, a Cochrane review found no effect on death and more non-fatal serious adverse events, and the trials that support it are mostly funded by the manufacturer.92 suppliers11 studies cited
- MK-677Ibutamoren · Ibutamoren mesylateMK-677 (ibutamoren) is an orally active small molecule that mimics the hunger hormone ghrelin at its receptor, raising growth hormone and IGF-1. It was developed by Merck in the 1990s, tested in healthy older adults, obese men, people with Alzheimer's disease and patients recovering from hip fracture, and never approved as a medicine anywhere. It is not a peptide, but it is sold by the same stores that sell research peptides, and it is prohibited in sport under the WADA list.68 suppliers12 studies cited
- YK-11YK11 · YK 11YK-11 is a synthetic steroid derivative, first described by researchers at Toho University in Japan, that acts as a partial agonist of the androgen receptor and raised follistatin expression in cultured mouse muscle cells. It is sold as a SARM, but structurally it is a steroid, and its entire evidence base is three cell-culture papers: there are no human trials and no animal efficacy trials. It has never been approved as a medicine anywhere, the FDA has warned consumers about SARM products, and WADA prohibits SARMs in sport at all times.37 suppliers9 studies cited
- Methylene BlueMethylthioninium chlorideMethylene blue (methylthioninium chloride) is a synthetic dye first made in 1876, not a peptide, and the active ingredient of a licensed intravenous medicine for methaemoglobinaemia. At low doses it acts as an alternative electron carrier in mitochondria, which is the basis of its use as a nootropic in small trials of memory, fear extinction and bipolar depression. Its reduced form was tested in large Alzheimer’s trials that missed their primary endpoints. It is a prescription-only medicine with a boxed warning for serotonin syndrome, and the material sold by peptide stores is unlicensed.36 suppliers17 studies cited
- MelatoninN-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamineMelatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland from tryptophan, via serotonin, that signals darkness to the body clock. It is not a peptide, but peptide stores sell it in 10 mg and 20 mg capsules, drops and occasionally vials alongside sleep peptides such as DSIP. Meta-analyses find it shortens the time taken to fall asleep by a few minutes and adds a few minutes of sleep, it helps jet lag when timed to the destination bedtime, and it is a prescription-only medicine in the UK but a freely sold supplement in the US.35 suppliers10 studies cited
- TesofensineNS2330Tesofensine is a small-molecule drug, not a peptide, that blocks the reuptake of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in the brain. It was developed for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, failed there, and was redirected to obesity after trial participants lost weight; a 2008 phase 2 trial reported about 10% weight loss over 24 weeks, but the trial was later the subject of an expression of concern and an author correction about under-reported adverse effects. As of September 2026 it is not an approved medicine anywhere we could confirm, it is prohibited in competition by WADA, and it is sold online as a supplement and as a “research” product, neither of which is a licensed medicine.33 suppliers17 studies cited
- NMNNicotinamide mononucleotide · β-NMNNMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is a nucleotide, not a peptide, and the immediate precursor of NAD+, a coenzyme that every cell needs for energy metabolism and DNA repair. Oral NMN reliably raises blood NAD+ in randomised trials of 250 to 1,000 mg a day, and some trials report modest gains in walking distance, insulin sensitivity or blood lipids, while others find no clinical change. It is sold as an NMN supplement in most of the countries we cover and, by peptide stores, as an injectable powder that no human trial has tested.17 suppliers14 studies cited
Thymic peptides
- TB-500Thymosin beta-4 fragment · TB500TB-500 is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide, Ac-LKKTETQ, copied from the actin-binding region of the natural protein thymosin beta-4. Most of the research people cite for TB-500 was done with full-length thymosin beta-4, not with TB-500 itself. TB-500 has not been tested in any published human trial and is not an approved medicine.715 suppliers34 studies cited
- Thymosin Alpha-1Tα1 · ThymalfasinThymosin alpha-1 is a 28-amino-acid peptide first isolated from calf thymus in 1977 and studied as an immune modulator. A synthetic version, thymalfasin (Zadaxin), is sold as a medicine in a number of countries, which its manufacturer has said are mainly in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, but it is not approved by the FDA. Unlike most research peptides, it has been tested in large human trials, with mixed results.420 suppliers17 studies cited
- ThymulinFTS · Facteur thymique seriqueThymulin is a natural nine-amino-acid hormone made only by the epithelial cells of the thymus, and it needs a zinc ion to be active. First isolated from pig serum in the 1970s as facteur thymique sérique (FTS), it was tested as a synthetic drug in rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis in the 1980s, is now studied mainly as an anti-inflammatory peptide in animals, and was identified in a 2026 Nature Communications paper as a circulating factor that restrains age-related inflammation. It is not an approved medicine anywhere.37 suppliers20 studies cited
Neuropeptide analogues
- SemaxSemax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide developed in Russia from a fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH 4-10), with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence added, and designed to have no hormonal activity. It is registered in Russia as a prescription nasal drop for cognitive and cerebrovascular conditions, but its clinical evidence comes from small Russian studies, and it is not approved in the UK, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.674 suppliers27 studies cited
- SelankSelank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide developed in Russia from tuftsin, a short fragment of an immune protein, with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence added. It is registered in Russia as a 0.15% nasal drop for anxiety states, but the clinical evidence consists of small Russian-language studies, and it is not approved as a medicine in the UK, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.668 suppliers21 studies cited
- DSIPDelta sleep-inducing peptideDSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is a nine-amino-acid peptide first isolated in 1977 by a Basel group from the blood of rabbits in which sleep had been induced. Early small studies suggested it might promote sleep, but later double-blind trials in people with chronic insomnia found little clinical benefit, its natural role is still unclear, and it is not an approved medicine.549 suppliers30 studies cited
- Kisspeptin-10KP-10 · KisspeptinKisspeptin-10 is the shortest active form of kisspeptin, a natural hormone that switches on the reproductive axis by triggering release of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the brain. It has been given to healthy volunteers in a number of academic studies, mainly in the UK and US, as a research tool, but it is not an approved medicine for any condition.464 suppliers30 studies cited
- OxytocinOxytocin acetateOxytocin is a nine-amino-acid hormone made in the hypothalamus and released from the pituitary gland. As a prescription medicine (Pitocin, Syntocinon and generic oxytocin infusions) it is one of the most widely used drugs in obstetrics, given by intravenous drip to induce or strengthen labour and to prevent bleeding after birth. The same peptide is sold online as a nasal spray or research vial on the strength of studies of trust, social behaviour, appetite and autism, most of which were small, and the largest of which were negative.258 suppliers18 studies cited
- VIPVasoactive intestinal peptide · AviptadilVIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide first isolated from pig intestine in 1970 that widens blood vessels, relaxes smooth muscle and dampens immune cell activity. Its synthetic form, aviptadil, is licensed in the UK as part of an injection for erectile dysfunction and was tested intravenously in two large COVID-19 respiratory failure trials, one company-run and positive on a secondary outcome, one NIH-run and negative. VIP sold as a research peptide is not an approved medicine for any of the uses it is marketed for.246 suppliers18 studies cited
- AdamaxAdamax is a name used by research peptide vendors for a synthetic peptide described as a modified analogue of Semax, the Russian nootropic heptapeptide, usually said to carry an adamantane group that makes it more stable and better at entering the brain. There is no published research on Adamax: no paper, no animal study, no human study and no chemical record in PubChem. Everything written about it is inferred from Semax, and this page explains what that inference does and does not support.169 suppliers6 studies cited
- PE-22-28PE-22-28 is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide designed in 2017 by a French research group as a shortened, longer-lasting version of spadin, a natural peptide fragment that blocks the TREK-1 potassium channel. In mice it produced antidepressant-like behaviour within four days and increased new neuron growth in the hippocampus. It has never been tested in a human, and every claim made for it rests on rodent and cell studies from a single laboratory.100 suppliers11 studies cited
- DihexaPNB-0408Dihexa (PNB-0408) is a small synthetic molecule derived from the hormone angiotensin IV, designed at Washington State University to survive digestion and cross the blood-brain barrier. In rats it reversed drug-induced and age-related memory deficits, and its developers proposed that it works by activating the hepatocyte growth factor receptor. Two of the key papers behind that mechanism were retracted in 2025 for falsified data, no human study has ever been published, and the US FDA has said it has no human exposure data for the compound.99 suppliers13 studies cited
- P21P-21 · P021P21 (Peptide 021, P021) is a small synthetic peptide derived from a four-amino-acid active region of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), with an adamantane-modified glycine added to help it resist breakdown and enter the brain. Developed at the New York State Institute for Basic Research, it increased the birth of new neurons, raised BDNF and improved memory in mouse and rat models of ageing, Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. All of that evidence is from animals and cells; no human study of P21 has been published.84 suppliers15 studies cited
- Orexin AHypocretin-1 · Orexin-AOrexin A (hypocretin-1) is a 33-amino-acid neuropeptide made by a small group of neurons in the hypothalamus that keeps the brain awake and stimulates appetite. Its loss causes narcolepsy type 1, and intranasal orexin A has been tested in small placebo-controlled studies in people with narcolepsy and in healthy volunteers, with measurable but modest effects. It is not an approved medicine; the first approved orexin drug, oveporexton, is a small molecule taken by mouth, not the peptide.19 suppliers18 studies cited
GH secretagogues and GHRH analogues
- IpamorelinIpa · IpamIpamorelin is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide that stimulates growth hormone release by acting on the ghrelin receptor. Developed by Novo Nordisk in the 1990s, it was described as the first secretagogue that released growth hormone without the rises in cortisol and ACTH seen with older GH-releasing peptides. Its only published efficacy trial in people, for post-operative ileus, did not meet its main goal, and it is not an approved medicine.667 suppliers33 studies cited
- TesamorelinTesaTesamorelin is a modified form of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and, unlike most peptides sold for research, it is an approved prescription medicine. In the US it is licensed as Egrifta to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, on the strength of large placebo-controlled phase 3 trials.666 suppliers30 studies cited
- CJC-1295Modified GRF (1-29) · CJC-1295 DACCJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) designed to last for days rather than minutes by binding to albumin in the blood. The name is also used, loosely, for a different peptide sold as “CJC-1295 no DAC” or Modified GRF (1-29), which lacks that albumin-binding group and has no published human studies of its own.583 suppliers27 studies cited
- AOD-9604hGH fragment 176-191 analogue · AODAOD-9604 is a 16-amino-acid fragment of human growth hormone, developed in Australia in the late 1990s as an anti-obesity drug. It increased fat breakdown in rodents, but a 536-person phase 2b trial found no significant weight loss compared with placebo and development for obesity was stopped in 2007. It is not an approved medicine, and it is prohibited in sport.471 suppliers22 studies cited
- SermorelinGRF 1-29 · SermoSermorelin is a synthetic copy of the first 29 amino acids of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a fragment that keeps the hormone’s growth hormone-releasing activity. It was licensed in the US as Geref for testing and treating growth hormone deficiency in children, but the manufacturer discontinued it in 2008, and the FDA later confirmed the withdrawal was not for safety or effectiveness reasons.370 suppliers29 studies cited
- GHRP-6GHRP-6 is a synthetic six-amino-acid peptide, described in 1984, that stimulates growth hormone release through what is now known as the ghrelin receptor. It is historically important because research on it and similar compounds helped lead to the discovery of that receptor and of ghrelin itself. Human studies are short hormone-response experiments; it has never been approved as a medicine.278 suppliers32 studies cited
- GHRP-2PralmorelinGHRP-2, also called pralmorelin, is a synthetic growth hormone-releasing peptide that acts on the ghrelin receptor. It is the only peptide in the GHRP family that we could confirm has a regulatory approval: in Japan it is used in hospitals as a single-dose diagnostic test for growth hormone deficiency. It has no approved treatment use anywhere.252 suppliers36 studies cited
- HexarelinHexaHexarelin is a synthetic six-amino-acid growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) that acts on the ghrelin receptor. In human studies from the 1990s and 2000s it was among the most potent GH releasers in its class, but its effect weakened with repeated use and it also raised cortisol and prolactin. It was never approved as a medicine.185 suppliers40 studies cited
Peptide blends
Melanocortin analogues
- Melanotan IIMT-2 · MT-IIMelanotan II is a synthetic cyclic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, developed at the University of Arizona in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was tested in small human studies for skin tanning and erectile dysfunction but was never approved as a medicine anywhere, and regulators in the UK, Australia and the US have warned against unlicensed tanning products that contain it.605 suppliers25 studies cited
- PT-141Bremelanotide · PT141PT-141 is the development code for bremelanotide, a synthetic melanocortin receptor agonist derived from melanotan II. It is the active ingredient of Vyleesi, which the US FDA approved in June 2019 as an as-needed injection for acquired, generalised hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women; it is not approved for men or to enhance sexual performance.600 suppliers25 studies cited
- KPVLys-Pro-ValKPV is a three-amino-acid peptide (lysine-proline-valine) that matches the final three residues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). It has shown anti-inflammatory effects in cell studies and in mouse models of colitis. No human trial of KPV has been published, and it is not an approved medicine.593 suppliers35 studies cited
- Melanotan IMelanotan 1 · MT-1Melanotan I is a 13-amino-acid synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, designed at the University of Arizona in 1980 and tested as a tanning agent in small human trials in the 1990s. The same molecule, under the name afamelanotide, is the licensed medicine Scenesse, a 16 mg implant approved in the EU, US and other countries for the rare light-sensitivity disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria. The melanotan 1 powder sold online is not that product: it is unlicensed, untested material, and UK, Canadian and Australian regulators have warned against it.296 suppliers20 studies cited
Other synthetic peptides
- EpitalonEpithalon · EpithaloneEpitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed in Russia from the composition of epithalamin, an extract of cattle pineal glands. It is promoted for ageing and sleep on the basis of cell studies on telomerase and rodent lifespan experiments, most of them from the group that developed it. Controlled human evidence is very limited, and several human studies often quoted used the extract, not epitalon.595 suppliers23 studies cited
- ARA-290CibinetideARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide copied from one face of helix B of erythropoietin. It was engineered to keep erythropoietin’s tissue-protective signalling while losing its effect on red blood cell production, and it is one of the few research peptides sold online that has actually been through placebo-controlled human trials, mostly in small nerve fibre neuropathy in sarcoidosis and type 2 diabetes. Those trials were small, the programme has not produced an approved medicine, and ARA-290 is named in anti-doping research as a prohibited peptide.266 suppliers23 studies cited
- AdipotideFTPP · Prohibitin-TP01Adipotide is an experimental peptidomimetic designed to kill the blood vessels that supply white fat, causing the fat to shrink. It produced rapid weight loss in obese mice in 2004 and in obese monkeys in 2011, at the cost of reversible kidney damage, and the only human trial, in prostate cancer patients, was terminated after enrolling four people. It has never been tested for weight loss in humans, no company is developing it for obesity that we could find, and it is not an approved medicine anywhere; a vial sold online as a “research” product is unlicensed material.115 suppliers8 studies cited
- FOXO4-DRIFOXO4 D-retro-inverso · ProxofimFOXO4-DRI is a designed peptide that breaks the grip of the FOXO4 protein on p53 inside senescent cells, pushing those cells to kill themselves. It became famous after a 2017 Cell paper in which it restored fur density, fitness and kidney function in fast-ageing and naturally old mice. Everything known about it comes from cells and animals: no human trial of FOXO4-DRI has been published or registered, and at least one study found that removing senescent cells this way made pulmonary hypertension worse.115 suppliers11 studies cited
- PNC-27PNC-27 is a 32-residue synthetic peptide that joins a fragment of the tumour suppressor p53 to a cell-penetrating leader sequence. In laboratory work spanning more than two decades it has killed a range of cancer cell lines while sparing normal cells, apparently by binding HDM-2 sitting in the cancer cell membrane and punching pores through it. All of that evidence is from cells in a dish and from mice: no human trial of PNC-27 has been published or registered, and it is not a cancer treatment.104 suppliers18 studies cited
- DermorphinDermorphin is a seven-amino-acid opioid peptide first isolated in 1980 from the skin of South American tree frogs. It is a potent and selective mu-opioid receptor agonist, described in the analytical literature as 30 to 40 times more potent than morphine, and it produces tolerance and physical dependence in animals in the same way other opioids do. It has never been developed as a medicine, it was misused in horse racing until detection methods caught up in 2011 and 2012, and it is a controlled-substance and doping concern rather than a wellness peptide.41 suppliers22 studies cited
- B7-33B7-33 is a single-chain peptide built from part of the B-chain of human relaxin-2, designed in Melbourne in 2016 to keep relaxin’s anti-fibrotic effects while being far cheaper and simpler to make. In rodents it reduced scarring in the heart, lung and kidney and improved blood vessel function, and unlike relaxin itself it did not promote prostate tumour growth in the one study that looked. No human trial of B7-33 has been published or registered, and the full-length relaxin drug it was derived from failed its own large heart failure trials.38 suppliers11 studies cited
- PTD-DBMPTD-DBM is a synthetic peptide that joins a cell-penetrating protein transduction domain (PTD) to a Dishevelled-binding motif (DBM) copied from the protein CXXC5. It was designed at Yonsei University in Seoul to block CXXC5 from switching off the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and in mice it accelerated wound healing and hair regrowth, especially alongside the drug valproic acid. All of the evidence is from cells and mice. There is no human trial of PTD-DBM, no registered clinical study, and no research on injecting it, which is how research stores sell it.33 suppliers10 studies cited
Incretin analogues
- RetatrutideLY3437943 · RetaRetatrutide is an investigational once-weekly peptide from Eli Lilly that activates three hormone receptors: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. It produced up to 24.2% average weight loss at 48 weeks in a 2023 phase 2 trial, and Lilly has since reported positive phase 3 TRIUMPH results. As of September 2026 it is not an approved medicine anywhere we could confirm, so any retatrutide sold online is unlicensed material, not a medicine.537 suppliers22 studies cited
- TirzepatideTirz · TirzepTirzepatide is a once-weekly peptide that activates two gut-hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1. Developed by Eli Lilly, it is licensed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and, in the US, as Zepbound for weight management and obstructive sleep apnoea, on the strength of the SURPASS and SURMOUNT trial programmes. Tirzepatide sold online as a “research peptide” is not the licensed medicine.330 suppliers21 studies cited
- CagrilintideCagriCagrilintide is a long-acting, once-weekly analogue of the hormone amylin, developed by Novo Nordisk for weight management. It has been tested alone and, mainly, in combination with semaglutide as CagriSema, which produced 20.4% average weight loss in the phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial. Novo Nordisk has reportedly filed CagriSema with the FDA; as of September 2026 we found no approval of either cagrilintide or CagriSema.323 suppliers23 studies cited
- SemaglutideSema · SemagSemaglutide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist developed by Novo Nordisk and licensed as the prescription medicines Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy for type 2 diabetes and weight management. Its effects are supported by large randomised trials, including the STEP obesity programme and the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial. Semaglutide sold online as a “research peptide” is not the licensed medicine and has none of its quality controls.241 suppliers22 studies cited
- MazdutideIBI362 · LY3305677Mazdutide is a once-weekly peptide that activates both the GLP-1 receptor and the glucagon receptor. Developed by Eli Lilly and licensed to Innovent Biologics for China, it became the first drug of its class to be approved anywhere when China licensed it for weight management in June 2025 under the brand name Xinermei. It is not approved in the US, UK, EU or Australia as of September 2026, so mazdutide sold online outside China as a “research” product is unlicensed material, not a medicine.102 suppliers17 studies cited
- SurvodutideBI 456906 · SurvoSurvodutide is an investigational once-weekly peptide from Boehringer Ingelheim that activates both the glucagon receptor and the GLP-1 receptor. It produced up to 14.9% average weight loss at 46 weeks in a phase 2 obesity trial and improved liver inflammation in a phase 2 trial in MASH, and the first phase 3 obesity trial, SYNCHRONIZE-1, was published in 2026. As of September 2026 it is not an approved medicine anywhere we could confirm, so survodutide sold online as a “research” product is unlicensed material, not a medicine.93 suppliers19 studies cited
- EloralintideLY3841136Eloralintide is an investigational once-weekly amylin receptor agonist from Eli Lilly, designed to be selective for the amylin receptor rather than the related calcitonin receptor. In a 48-week phase 2 trial published in The Lancet in 2025 it produced up to 20% average weight loss, with less nausea than is typical for GLP-1 drugs but a notable rate of fatigue. Phase 3 trials began in 2026. It is not an approved medicine anywhere as of September 2026, so eloralintide sold online as a “research” product is unlicensed material, not a medicine.47 suppliers15 studies cited
- LiraglutideLiraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide from Novo Nordisk, sold as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda for weight management, with generic versions approved in the US since December 2024. It is a licensed, prescription-only medicine with more than fifteen years of clinical use, including the 9,340-patient LEADER cardiovascular trial. A vial of liraglutide sold online as a “research” product is not Victoza, Saxenda or a generic, and is not a licensed medicine.27 suppliers17 studies cited
Growth factor analogues
- IGF-1 LR3Long R3 IGF-1 · IGF1-LR3IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-I) is a laboratory-made analogue of human insulin-like growth factor-1, designed in Adelaide in the early 1990s to bind poorly to the proteins that normally hold IGF-1 in check. It is used as a laboratory reagent and has been studied in rats, mice, pigs and other animals, but we found no published human trials, and it is not an approved medicine.448 suppliers15 studies cited
- PEG-MGFPEGylated mechano growth factor · PEG MGFPEG-MGF is mechano growth factor, a synthetic 24-amino-acid peptide from the E domain of an IGF-1 splice variant, with a polyethylene glycol chain attached to slow its clearance from the body. It is sold for muscle growth and recovery, but we could not find a single published study of the PEGylated peptide in cells, animals or people. Everything known about it is inferred from the unmodified MGF peptide, whose own evidence is contradictory, and from what PEGylation does to other proteins.154 suppliers24 studies cited
- MGFMechano growth factor · IGF-1EcMGF, or mechano growth factor, is the name given to a splice variant of the IGF-1 gene (IGF-1Ec in humans) whose messenger RNA rises in muscle after loading or injury. The peptide sold as MGF is a synthetic 24-amino-acid piece of that variant’s E domain. It increased muscle cell proliferation in some laboratory studies but not in others, has never been injected into people in a published study, and has been prohibited in sport since 2005.106 suppliers26 studies cited
- IGF-1 DESIGF-1 DES(1-3) · DES(1-3)IGF-1IGF-1 DES, or des(1-3)IGF-1, is human insulin-like growth factor-1 with its first three amino acids removed. It occurs naturally in the human brain and in cow colostrum, and it is about ten times more potent than IGF-1 in cell studies because it binds poorly to the proteins that normally hold IGF-1 in check. It has been studied in rats, pigs and marmosets, where it lowered blood sugar more strongly and for longer than IGF-1, but we found no published human trial, and it is prohibited in sport.80 suppliers21 studies cited
Cosmetic peptides
- SNAP-8Acetyl octapeptide-3 · Acetyl octapeptide-1SNAP-8 is a synthetic eight-amino-acid cosmetic peptide, listed on ingredient labels as acetyl octapeptide-3, that copies part of the SNAP-25 protein involved in nerve signalling and is sold as a topical alternative to botulinum toxin for expression lines. It is a longer version of the better-known hexapeptide Argireline. The peer-reviewed evidence for SNAP-8 itself is thin: the mechanism comes from Argireline studies, the only human data on SNAP-8 come from small trials of multi-ingredient patches, and there is no research on injecting it, which is how research stores sell it.281 suppliers15 studies cited
- MatrixylPalmitoyl pentapeptide-4 · Pal-KTTKSMatrixyl is the trade name for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, a five-amino-acid fragment of type I collagen (Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser, or KTTKS) joined to a palmitic acid chain so that it can get into the skin. It is one of the few cosmetic peptides with a placebo-controlled human trial behind it, a 12-week split-face study in 93 women that found a modest reduction in wrinkles. All of that evidence concerns creams. The vials sold by research peptide stores have no research behind them, and no study has ever injected Matrixyl.46 suppliers17 studies cited
- Pal-GHKPalmitoyl tripeptide-1 · PAL-GHKPal-GHK, listed on cosmetic labels as palmitoyl tripeptide-1, is the tripeptide GHK (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) with a palmitic acid chain attached so that it can penetrate the skin. GHK is the peptide behind the copper complex GHK-Cu, and Pal-GHK is best known as one half of the Matrixyl 3000 blend used in anti-wrinkle creams. The peer-reviewed evidence for Pal-GHK on its own is very thin: a few studies of multi-ingredient products, cell work on GHK, and a 2025 review that describes a surprising absence of clinical studies. Research stores sell it in vials, but nothing published concerns injecting it.34 suppliers15 studies cited
- Pal-AHKPalmitoyl AHKPal-AHK is the tripeptide alanyl-histidyl-lysine (AHK) with a palmitic acid chain attached, sold by cosmetic ingredient suppliers and research peptide stores as a hair-growth peptide. It is a fatty-acid version of AHK-Cu in the same way that Pal-GHK is a fatty-acid version of GHK. We could find no peer-reviewed study of Pal-AHK at all: the only research on the AHK sequence is a single 2007 laboratory study of the copper complex on cultured hair follicles, and everything said about the palmitoyl form is inferred from other lipopeptides. There are no human, animal or injection studies.10 suppliers12 studies cited
Antimicrobial peptides
Bioregulator peptides
- PinealonPinealon is a synthetic tripeptide, glutamic acid-aspartic acid-arginine (Glu-Asp-Arg, or EDR), from the series of short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg. It has been studied mainly in cell cultures and rodents for effects on nerve cells under oxidative stress and in models of Alzheimer’s disease. There are no randomised controlled trials in people, almost all of the published research comes from one research group, and it is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.245 suppliers15 studies cited
- ThymalinThymalin is a polypeptide extract of calf thymus developed in Leningrad in the 1970s by Vladimir Khavinson and Vyacheslav Morozov, and it has been a registered medicine in Russia for decades as an immunomodulator. It is not a single peptide: it is a mixture from which the dipeptides Glu-Trp (thymogen) and Lys-Glu (vilon) were later identified. Its clinical evidence consists of Russian studies, including a long-running 266-person geroprotection study and non-randomised COVID-19 cohorts, and it is not licensed in the UK, US or EU.188 suppliers15 studies cited
- CartalaxCartalax is a synthetic tripeptide, alanine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid (Ala-Glu-Asp, or AED), from the series of short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg and described by them as specific for cartilage and connective tissue. It has been studied in cultured chondrocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, skin fibroblasts and kidney cells, and in ovariectomised rats as a model of osteoporosis. The developers refer to clinical use in older people with osteoarthritis, but no controlled human trial has been published, and it is not an approved medicine.146 suppliers12 studies cited
- CardiogenCardiogen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, alanine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-arginine (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg, or AEDR), from the series of short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg and described by them as heart-specific. Its published research consists of tissue-culture experiments on rat heart explants and mouse fibroblasts, and one study of a transplanted sarcoma in old rats. There are no human studies at all, nearly every paper comes from the developers, and it is not an approved medicine anywhere.87 suppliers10 studies cited
- CortagenCortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, alanine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-proline (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, or AEDP), designed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg from the amino-acid composition of the brain-cortex extract cortexin. It has been studied in rats for nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve injury and for effects on brain ischaemia and oxidative stress, and in cell studies for effects on immune cells and chromatin. There are no controlled human trials, almost all of the research comes from one group, and it is not an approved medicine.81 suppliers15 studies cited
- VilonVilon is a synthetic dipeptide, lysine-glutamic acid (Lys-Glu, or KE), designed in St Petersburg from the amino acid composition of a thymus extract and studied as a thymus bioregulator. Almost everything published about it comes from one Russian research group; the animal work reports longer lifespan and fewer tumours in mice, and the human reports are small, uncontrolled and mostly in Russian-language journals. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.75 suppliers24 studies cited
- BronchogenBronchogen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, alanine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-leucine (Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu, or AEDL), from the series of short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg and described by them as specific for the bronchial epithelium. It has been studied in cultured human bronchial cells, in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and, unusually, in tobacco plants. There are no human studies, nearly all of the research comes from the developers and their collaborators, and it is not an approved medicine.74 suppliers14 studies cited
- VesugenVesugen, also spelled Vezugen, is a synthetic tripeptide, lysine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid (Lys-Glu-Asp, or KED), designed in St Petersburg from the amino acid composition of a blood-vessel extract and studied as a vascular bioregulator. The published evidence is cell culture, a few rat studies and three small uncontrolled Russian clinical reports, almost all from the group that developed it. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.72 suppliers21 studies cited
- TestagenTestagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, lysine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-glycine (Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly, or KEDG), from the Khavinson series of short bioregulator peptides. Sellers market it as a testis peptide for testosterone, but the published studies designed it from a pituitary extract and tested it on the thyroid and thymus of birds without a pituitary gland; there is no published human study and no study of testosterone. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.65 suppliers12 studies cited
- ProstamaxProstamax is a synthetic tetrapeptide, lysine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-proline (Lys-Glu-Asp-Pro, or KEDP), from the Khavinson series of short bioregulator peptides, designed from the amino acid composition of a prostate extract. Its entire published record is a rat tissue-culture study and a handful of laboratory studies on the chromatin of blood cells from very old people, all from the developers’ network; there is no animal disease study and no human study of any kind. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.63 suppliers10 studies cited
- LivagenLivagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, lysine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-alanine (Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala, or KEDA), from the Khavinson series of short bioregulator peptides, designed from the amino acid composition of a liver extract and studied as a liver peptide. Its published evidence is rat liver cultures, rat digestive enzymes and a run of studies on the chromatin of blood cells taken from very old people, nearly all from the developers’ network; there is no human treatment study. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.55 suppliers16 studies cited
- PancragenPancragen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, lysine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-tryptophan (Lys-Glu-Asp-Trp, or KEDW), from the Khavinson series of short bioregulator peptides, designed as a mimic of a fragment shared by insulin-releasing peptides and studied for blood sugar and pancreatic function. It has rat, rhesus monkey and cell-culture data and one small uncontrolled Russian report in elderly people with type 2 diabetes, almost all from the group that developed it. It is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of.51 suppliers15 studies cited
- OvagenOvagen is the trade name of the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL), one of the short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Despite a name that suggests the ovaries, the institute describes it as a kidney and liver peptide, and its published evidence consists of rat kidney-injury studies and kidney cell-culture work from that group. There are no human trials of ovagen, and it is not an approved medicine anywhere.49 suppliers10 studies cited
- ThymogenThymagen · Glu-TrpThymogen is the trade name of the synthetic dipeptide L-glutamyl-L-tryptophan (Glu-Trp), isolated from the calf thymus extract thymalin by Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St Petersburg and registered as an immunomodulator medicine in Russia. The same dipeptide was developed separately in the United States as IM862 and failed a phase 3 trial in AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is sold by research peptide suppliers under the names Thymogen and Thymagen, and it is not an approved medicine in the UK, US, EU, Canada or Australia.47 suppliers19 studies cited
- ChonlutenChonluten is the trade name of the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Gly (EDG), one of the short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and described by them as a bronchial and gastric peptide. Its published evidence consists of a handful of cell-culture and rat studies, almost all from that institute or its collaborators, and there are no human trials of chonluten. It is not an approved medicine anywhere.45 suppliers10 studies cited
- CrystagenCrystagen is the trade name of the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Pro (EDP), one of the short bioregulator peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s group at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and described by them as an immunoprotector. The published evidence consists of a few cell and tissue-culture studies from that institute, several in Russian, and there are no human trials of crystagen. It is not an approved medicine anywhere.43 suppliers10 studies cited
- VesiluteVesilute, also written Vesilut, is a bladder peptide from the Khavinson bioregulator series developed at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. The only peer-reviewed source that names it gives its structure as the dipeptide Glu-Asp (ED) and its activity as bladder regulator, without citing any experiment. We could find no published study of vesilute in cells, animals or people, some sellers list a different sequence, and it is not an approved medicine anywhere.24 suppliers9 studies cited
Reproductive hormones and analogues
- HCGHuman chorionic gonadotropin · Chorionic gonadotropinHCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a glycoprotein hormone made by the placenta in pregnancy. As a prescription medicine it is used to trigger ovulation in fertility treatment, to treat some forms of hypogonadism in men and, historically, undescended testes in boys. It is sold online as a “research” product, mostly to men on testosterone or after anabolic steroid use; that material is not the licensed medicine, HCG is a Class C controlled drug in the UK, and it is prohibited in male athletes under the WADA code.173 suppliers17 studies cited
- GonadorelinGnRH · LHRHGonadorelin is the synthetic form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, also called LHRH), the ten-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that tells the pituitary to release LH and FSH. It is licensed in the UK as a single-dose diagnostic test of pituitary function, has been used through infusion pumps to restore fertility in people whose hypothalamus does not make GnRH, and is widely sold by research vendors and US compounding pharmacies as an add-on to testosterone therapy. Its half-life is about four minutes, and how it is given matters more than how much: the same hormone stimulates the pituitary when pulsed and shuts it down when given continuously.91 suppliers13 studies cited
- HMGHuman menopausal gonadotropin · MenotropinsHMG (human menopausal gonadotropin, or menotropins) is a preparation of the pituitary hormones FSH and LH extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women. It has been a prescription fertility medicine since the 1960s, used to grow eggs for IVF, to induce ovulation, and with HCG to start sperm production in men whose pituitary does not make gonadotropins. Vials sold online as a “research” product are not the licensed medicine Menopur, and the LH activity in HMG puts it within WADA’s prohibited list for male athletes.79 suppliers10 studies cited
- TriptorelinTriptorelin acetateTriptorelin is a synthetic analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in which one amino acid, glycine at position 6, is replaced by D-tryptophan. Given as a monthly, three-monthly or six-monthly depot injection it switches off the production of testosterone or oestrogen, and it is a licensed prescription medicine for advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, central precocious puberty and, in the UK, premenopausal breast cancer. It first stimulates and then suppresses the pituitary, which is why it is also sold by research vendors for a single-dose “post-cycle therapy” use that has never been tested in a trial.24 suppliers11 studies cited
Growth hormone and fragments
- HGH Fragment 176-191Fragment 176-191 · HGH Frag 176-191HGH Fragment 176-191 is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide copied from the tail end of human growth hormone. It is sold for fat loss on the strength of rodent research into the neighbouring fragment 177-191 and its modified version AOD-9604, which is the only molecule from this family ever given to people in trials. Those trials found no significant weight loss, the 176-191 fragment itself has never been tested in humans, and it is named on the WADA Prohibited List.145 suppliers23 studies cited
- HGHSomatropin · Human growth hormoneHGH (human growth hormone, somatropin) is a 191-amino-acid protein hormone made by the pituitary gland and, since 1985, by recombinant DNA technology. It is a licensed prescription medicine for children with growth failure and adults with proven growth hormone deficiency, sold under names such as Genotropin and Norditropin. It is also one of the most heavily trafficked hormones in bodybuilding and “anti-ageing” medicine, where controlled trials show modest body-composition changes, no gain in strength, and a consistent list of side effects. Vials sold online as “HGH 191AA” are not the licensed medicine, and distributing growth hormone for any non-approved use is a specific federal crime in the US.132 suppliers17 studies cited
Myostatin pathway proteins
- ACE-031RamaterceptACE-031 (ramatercept) is a fusion protein made from the outer part of the activin receptor type IIB joined to the Fc portion of human IgG1. It works as a decoy, soaking up myostatin and related proteins that limit muscle growth. A single dose increased lean mass in healthy volunteers, but a trial in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was stopped in 2011 over nosebleeds and dilated skin blood vessels, development ended, and most products sold under the name have been found to contain a different protein.110 suppliers17 studies cited
- Follistatin 344Follistatin · FST-344Follistatin is a natural protein that binds and neutralises activin and myostatin, the signals that limit muscle growth, and FST-344 is the name of its longer precursor form. Animals given the follistatin gene grow markedly larger and stronger muscles, and a gene therapy carrying FST344 has been injected into the muscles of a small number of people with muscular dystrophy and inclusion body myositis. The injectable protein sold online as follistatin 344 has never been tested in people, and most black-market products tested have contained a tagged laboratory version or no follistatin at all.109 suppliers24 studies cited
- GDF-8Myostatin · Growth differentiation factor 8GDF-8 is growth differentiation factor 8, better known as myostatin: the protein made by muscle that stops muscle growing. Animals and one child born without working myostatin have roughly twice the normal muscle mass, which is why drugs that block it have been tested in muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia, inclusion body myositis and obesity. What research stores sell as GDF-8 is either the myostatin protein itself, which would if anything reduce muscle, or a propeptide, antibody or follistatin product meant to block it. No myostatin inhibitor is an approved medicine and all of them are prohibited in sport.43 suppliers21 studies cited
Comparisons and combinations
- BPC-157 and TB-500Taken or sold together
- CJC-1295 and ipamorelinTaken or sold together
- GHRP-2 vs GHRP-6Side-by-side comparison
- Glow and Klow peptide blendsTaken or sold together
- Ipamorelin vs sermorelinSide-by-side comparison
- KPV vs BPC-157Side-by-side comparison
- Melanotan 1 vs melanotan 2Side-by-side comparison
- Retatrutide vs tirzepatideSide-by-side comparison
- Semax vs selankSide-by-side comparison
- Tesamorelin vs ipamorelinSide-by-side comparison
- Tesamorelin vs sermorelinSide-by-side comparison
- Tirzepatide vs semaglutideSide-by-side comparison
Looking for prices? Compare prices per mg across suppliers in your currency. Need the arithmetic for a vial? Use the peptide calculator. Nothing on PepFinder is medical advice, and research peptides are not licensed medicines.