Peptide Breakdown is a reference on research peptides: for each compound, what it has been studied for, how strong that evidence actually is, and where the studies stop.
26 peptides and 15 guides. Written from the published literature, revised as it changes. How pages are rated.
Peptides
Click Peptide or Evidence to sort| Studied for | Route | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOD-9604 Fat Loss Peptide | fat loss in obese mice (strong), weight loss in obese adults (failed Phase IIb), cartilage repair (lab and animal), safety and tolerability in humans | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection (oral in the trials) | Not FDA approved as a drug; GRAS as a food ingredient (2010); sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| BPC-157 Healing Peptide | Tendon and muscle healing, Gut protection, Nerve and bone repair | Animal | Mixed 28 reports | subcutaneous injection; oral in gut studies | Research chemical; not approved for human use |
| CJC-1295 Growth Hormone Secretagogue | raising growth hormone and IGF-1, body composition (lean mass, belly fat), growth in GHRH-deficient mice, age-related GH decline (proposed, not trialed) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection | Not FDA approved; clinical development halted in 2006; sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) Sleep Peptide | chronic insomnia, sleep disturbance in alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal, stress hormone (cortisol) regulation, pain (modest, older studies) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection (intravenous in the original studies) | Not FDA approved; sold as a research chemical; not on the WADA list |
| Epithalon (Epitalon) Anti-Aging Peptide | telomere length in cells, lifespan in mice and flies, melatonin in aged animals and people, retinitis pigmentosa (small human study) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous or intramuscular injection | Not FDA approved; sold as a research chemical; not on the WADA list; used in Russia as a peptide bioregulator |
| FOXO4-DRI Senolytic Peptide | clearing senescent cells (cells and mice), reversing signs of aging in old mice, kidney function and fur in aged mice | Animal | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection (mice) | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical; not on the WADA list |
| GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) Anti-Aging Peptide | skin aging (topical), wound healing (animals), hair growth (lab), gene expression changes | Small human | No coded reports yet | topical cream or serum (subcutaneous injection in community use) | Sold as a cosmetic ingredient; not FDA approved as a drug; injectable form is a research chemical |
| GHRP-2 Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone release (single-dose human studies), diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (approved test in Japan), synergy with GHRH-type peptides, appetite (human) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection (intravenous for the diagnostic test) | Approved in Japan as a diagnostic agent only; not FDA approved; sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| GHRP-6 Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone release (human, single dose), appetite (human), heart protection after injury (animals), wound healing (animals) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| Hexarelin Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone release (human, single dose), heart contractility (human, small), desensitization with repeated use (human), cortisol and prolactin response (human) | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| Ipamorelin Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone release (human, single dose), gut motility after surgery (human Phase II, discontinued), lean mass in growth-hormone-deficient pigs, bone density in rats | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, 1 to 3 times daily | Not approved anywhere; clinical development discontinued; sold as a research chemical and by compounding pharmacies; prohibited by WADA |
| Kisspeptin-10 Hormonal Peptide | IVF egg maturation, LH and testosterone stimulation, hypothalamic amenorrhea, locating hormone-axis problems | Small human | No coded reports yet | intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection | Research chemical; not approved in any country; in clinical trials for IVF |
| KPV Anti-Inflammatory Peptide | colitis and gut inflammation (mice), skin inflammation (animals), antimicrobial activity (lab), blocking the NF-κB inflammation switch (cells) | Animal | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection; oral capsules (used in the mouse work); topical | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical and by some compounding pharmacies; not on the WADA list |
| LL-37 Antimicrobial Peptide | killing bacteria and fungi (lab), breaking up biofilms (lab), skin wound healing (animals, human tissue), immune signaling (lab and animal) | Animal | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection in community use; topical in research | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical; not on the WADA list |
| Melanotan II (MT-2) Melanocortin Peptide | Sunless tanning, Sexual arousal, Appetite suppression | Small human | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection | Research chemical; not approved anywhere |
| MK-677 (Ibutamoren) Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone and IGF-1 in older adults (2-year trial), body composition (modest), deep sleep, bone density (preliminary), recovery after hip fracture | Small human | No coded reports yet | oral, once daily | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical, often shelved with SARMs; prohibited by WADA |
| MOTS-c Mitochondrial Peptide | obesity and insulin resistance (mice), physical performance in old mice, response to exercise (human blood levels), metabolic disease (one small human trial of an analog) | Animal | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection | Not approved anywhere; sold as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA as a metabolic modulator |
| PT-141 (Bremelanotide) Melanocortin Peptide | low sexual desire in premenopausal women (approved), erectile dysfunction in men (earlier studies), female arousal disorder (earlier studies) | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, on demand (nasal spray in early studies) | FDA approved (Vyleesi) for premenopausal women with HSDD; prescription only; off-label in men; sold as a research chemical; not on the WADA list |
| Selank Nootropic Peptide | generalized anxiety disorder (small Russian trials), anxiety with cognitive complaints, BDNF and memory in rats, immune modulation (lab) | Small human | No coded reports yet | nasal spray (subcutaneous injection in community use) | Approved in Russia as a prescription nasal spray; not FDA approved; sold as a research chemical elsewhere; not on the WADA list |
| Semaglutide GLP-1 Agonist | chronic weight management, type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke prevention, kidney disease, sleep apnea, fatty liver (ongoing or recent trials) | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection weekly (Ozempic, Wegovy); daily oral tablet (Rybelsus) | FDA approved; prescription only; compounded versions restricted by the FDA; not on the WADA list |
| Semax Nootropic Peptide | attention and memory, stroke recovery, optic nerve disease, learning in rodents | Small human | No coded reports yet | nasal spray (subcutaneous injection in community use) | Approved in Russia as a prescription nasal spray; not FDA approved; sold as a research chemical elsewhere |
| Sermorelin Growth Hormone Secretagogue | growth hormone deficiency in children (approved use, withdrawn), growth hormone and IGF-1 in older adults (small studies), deep sleep, diagnosing pituitary function | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, daily (usually at bedtime) | Formerly FDA approved (Geref, withdrawn 2008); now available only compounded or as a research chemical; prohibited by WADA |
| TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4) Healing Peptide | wound healing, heart attack recovery, corneal injury and dry eye, brain injury | Animal | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection in community use; topical, eye drops, intraperitoneal, and intravenous in studies | Research chemical; not FDA approved; prohibited by WADA |
| Tesamorelin Growth Hormone Secretagogue | visceral (deep belly) fat in HIV lipodystrophy, liver fat in HIV, memory and executive function in older adults (one trial), age-related belly fat (off-label, untested) | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, daily | FDA approved (Egrifta) for HIV-associated lipodystrophy; prescription only; off-label use legal; prohibited by WADA |
| Thymosin Alpha-1 Immune Modulator | chronic hepatitis B (approved abroad), hepatitis C (with interferon), melanoma and other cancers as an adjunct, severe sepsis, vaccine response in older adults | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, usually twice weekly | Approved in 35+ countries (Zadaxin); not FDA approved; available compounded and as a research chemical in the US; not on the WADA list |
| Tirzepatide GLP-1/GIP Dual Agonist | chronic weight management, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, heart outcomes (trial ongoing) | Clinical trials | No coded reports yet | subcutaneous injection, weekly | FDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound); prescription only; compounded versions restricted by the FDA; not on the WADA list |
Evidence scale: Anecdotal, Animal, Small human, Clinical trials. Filled squares mark the strongest evidence available for that peptide. Dashed squares mean the page has not been rated yet. What people say: public forum reports coded one by one (helped, mixed, no effect, bad experience); the bar shows the split and the label is called only once there are at least 8 reports.
Start here
Four short guides that explain how to read everything else on this site.
- 01 What Are Peptides? A Clear, Evidence-Based Overview
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, usually 2 to 50, that act as signals in the body. Insulin is one. So are semaglutide, BPC-157, and dozens of research compounds. Here is what they are, what they are not, and how to think about them.
- 02 How Peptides Are Studied: Animal Data vs Human Evidence
Most of what you read about peptides comes from rat studies. This guide explains the ladder from a petri dish to a Phase III trial, why so much fails to climb it, and how to tell strong evidence from a hopeful start.
- 03 How to Read Peptide Claims Critically
A practical method for checking whether a peptide claim is backed by anything: the red flags, the PubMed search, how to read an abstract, and the four features of a study that decide whether it counts.
- 04 Peptide Safety: What's Known, What's Unclear, What's Assumed
For a few peptides the safety data is excellent. For most, it does not exist. Here is which is which, why the source is often the bigger risk than the molecule, and what 'generally well tolerated' actually means.
Guides
All guides- Best Peptides for Anti-Aging: What the Research Actually Supports 2026-09-11
- Common Misconceptions About Peptides (and Why They Persist) 2026-09-11
- GLP-1 Peptides Explained: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and the Incretin Revolution 2026-09-15
- How Peptides Are Administered: Routes, Bioavailability, and Why It Matters 2026-09-11
- Peptide Stacks: What 'Stacking' Means in Research Context 2026-09-11
- Peptide Storage, Reconstitution, and Handling: What the Science Says 2026-09-11
- Peptides Studied for Fat Loss: An Evidence-Based Comparison (2026) 2026-09-11
- Peptides Studied for Injury Recovery and Healing: An Evidence-Based Comparison (2026) 2026-09-15
- Peptides Studied for Muscle Growth and Recovery: An Evidence-Based Comparison (2026) 2026-09-11
- Peptides vs SARMs vs Steroids: Understanding the Differences 2026-09-11
- Why Most Peptide Evidence Is Preclinical 2026-09-11