Peptide guide
The top 50 research peptides, explained
What each peptide is, what people use it for, and how strong the evidence really is. Where vials have been lab tested, you can also see how every vendor's lab results compare.
For research use only. VendorVerify sells nothing and takes no money from vendors. No affiliate links, no coupon codes, no paid rankings. How scores work
What the evidence labels mean
- Approved drug
- Approved by the FDA for at least one use (the vials buyers test are research versions, not the approved product).
- Approved outside the US
- Approved as a medicine in other countries, not in the US.
- Human trials
- Tested in controlled human trials, whatever the result.
- Early human data
- Small, pilot or uncontrolled human studies only.
- Animal/lab only
- Evidence comes from animals or cells; effects in people are unproven.
- Anecdotal
- User reports only; no published studies.
Key facts
- 10 of the 50 peptides on this list are approved by the FDA for at least one use.
- 4 peptides are approved as a medicine outside the US but not in the US.
- 11 peptides have been tested in controlled human trials without being approved.
- 10 peptides have only small, pilot or uncontrolled human studies.
- 13 peptides have evidence from animals or cells only.
- 2 entries rest on user reports alone, with no published studies.
- All 50 peptides on this list have a full VendorVerify guide.
- 37 of the 50 peptides have independent lab results broken down by vendor.
- The research vials buyers test are not the FDA-approved products, even for approved drugs.
Weight loss and metabolic
GLP-1 drugs, their newer relatives, and compounds sold for fat loss.
Tirzepatide
Approved drugGIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist; approved as Mounjaro and Zepbound for type 2 diabetes and weight management.
Retatrutide
Human trialsEli Lilly's investigational triple agonist (GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors), several Phase 3 obesity and diabetes trials have reported, and it is not yet approved.
Semaglutide
Approved drugGLP-1 receptor agonist; approved as Ozempic and Wegovy for type 2 diabetes and weight management.
Cagrilintide
Human trialsLong-acting amylin analogue from Novo Nordisk, studied alone and combined with semaglutide for weight loss.
Mazdutide
Approved outside the USGLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist from Eli Lilly, licensed to Innovent for China; approved there in 2025 for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
Survodutide
Human trialsBoehringer Ingelheim's GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonist; first Phase 3 obesity results published in 2026, liver-disease trials ongoing.
Liraglutide
Approved drugOlder, shorter-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist; approved as Victoza for diabetes and Saxenda for weight management.
Eloralintide
Human trialsAmylin receptor agonist from Eli Lilly; Phase 2 obesity results published in 2025 and Phase 3 trials under way.
AOD-9604
Human trialsFragment of human growth hormone developed for fat loss; human trials did not show meaningful weight loss.
5-Amino-1MQ
Animal/lab onlyNot a peptide
Small-molecule NNMT inhibitor sold alongside peptides; fat-loss data comes from mice.
MOTS-c
Animal/lab onlyMitochondria-derived peptide studied for insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity, mostly in animals.
Healing and recovery
Compounds buyers use for injuries, tendons, gut and skin repair.
BPC-157
Animal/lab onlySynthetic peptide based on a gastric protein sequence; studied for tendon, muscle and gut healing, almost entirely in animals.
TB-500
Animal/lab onlySynthetic peptide related to thymosin beta-4, sold for injury recovery; the research is on thymosin beta-4 and in animals.
KLOW / GLOW blends
AnecdotalVendor blend
Vendor-made blends of BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu (KLOW adds KPV); the blends themselves have never been studied.
KPV
Animal/lab onlyTripeptide fragment of alpha-MSH studied for anti-inflammatory effects, including in gut inflammation models.
LL-37
Early human dataHuman antimicrobial peptide (cathelicidin) studied as a topical gel for chronic leg ulcers; its infection claims come from lab studies.
ARA-290
Early human dataPeptide derived from erythropoietin (also called cibinetide), studied in small trials for nerve damage in sarcoidosis and type 2 diabetes.
Larazotide
Human trialsGut tight-junction regulator studied for celiac disease; its Phase 3 trial was stopped in 2022.
PEG-MGF
Animal/lab onlyPegylated version of a peptide from an IGF-1 splice variant; the muscle-repair research used the plain peptide in cells and animals, and there are no human studies.
Growth hormone axis
Secretagogues and releasing-hormone analogues that raise GH or related hormones.
Tesamorelin
Approved drugGrowth hormone-releasing hormone analogue; approved as Egrifta to reduce abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Ipamorelin
Human trialsSelective growth hormone secretagogue (ghrelin receptor agonist), often paired with CJC-1295.
CJC-1295
Early human dataLong-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue; the version without DAC is shorter-acting.
Sermorelin
Approved drugUS product discontinued
Short GHRH analogue once FDA-approved for growth hormone deficiency in children.
Hexarelin
Early human dataSynthetic growth hormone secretagogue studied in small human studies.
GHRP-2
Approved outside the USGrowth hormone-releasing peptide (pralmorelin); approved in Japan only as a one-time diagnostic test for growth hormone deficiency, not as a treatment.
GHRP-6
Early human dataOne of the first growth hormone-releasing peptides; acts on the ghrelin (hunger) receptor, and raises cortisol and prolactin as well as growth hormone.
IGF-1 LR3
Animal/lab onlyModified IGF-1 that escapes the body's IGF-binding proteins, made for cell-culture research; no human trials.
Gonadorelin
Human trialsUS human products discontinued
Synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone, once approved in the US for diagnostic testing and restoring ovulation; current listings are veterinary only.
HCG
Approved drugGlycoprotein hormone
Human chorionic gonadotropin; approved for fertility treatment and some forms of hypogonadism.
Skin, tanning and sexual health
Copper peptides, melanocortins and reproductive hormones.
GHK-Cu
Early human dataCopper-binding peptide found in human plasma; studied mainly in skincare, with little data on injection.
Melanotan II
Early human dataSynthetic melanocortin agonist that darkens skin and affects libido; unapproved, with safety concerns.
Melanotan I
Approved drugAlso called afamelanotide; approved only as the clinician-placed implant Scenesse for a rare light-sensitivity disorder (EPP), not for tanning.
PT-141
Approved drugBremelanotide; approved as Vyleesi for low sexual desire in premenopausal women.
Kisspeptin-10
Human trialsFragment of kisspeptin, a hormone that switches on the reproductive axis; used in human research studies.
Oxytocin
Approved drugHormone approved to start or strengthen labor for medical reasons and control bleeding after birth; trials of its social and mood effects are mixed.
Longevity and mitochondria
Compounds studied for ageing, cellular energy and oxidative stress.
NAD+
Early human dataCoenzyme, not a peptide
Coenzyme central to cellular energy; most human data is on its precursors (NR and NMN) rather than NAD+ itself.
SS-31
Approved drugElamipretide, a mitochondria-targeted peptide; granted FDA accelerated approval as Forzinity for Barth syndrome in 2025.
Epitalon
Animal/lab onlySynthetic tetrapeptide from pineal gland research, promoted for aging; evidence comes mostly from animals and one research group.
FOXO4-DRI
Animal/lab onlyPeptide designed to clear senescent cells; studied in mice.
Humanin
Animal/lab onlyMitochondria-derived peptide studied for cell protection in animal and lab models.
Glutathione
Human trialsTripeptide antioxidant made by the body; supplement trials show mixed results, and FDA has warned about endotoxin-contaminated compounded injectables.
Pinealon
Animal/lab onlyShort synthetic peptide from the same research group as Epitalon, promoted for brain aging.
Thymulin
Animal/lab onlyZinc-dependent thymus hormone studied in animals for immune and inflammatory effects.
Cognition, mood and sleep
Nootropic and sleep peptides, several developed in Russia.
Semax
Approved outside the USSynthetic ACTH fragment analogue approved in Russia, used there for stroke recovery and cognition.
Selank
Early human dataRussian-developed tuftsin analogue studied for anxiety; the clinical evidence is a few small Russian trials without a placebo group, plus a placebo-controlled brain-imaging study in healthy adults.
Adamax
AnecdotalSold as a Semax variant; we found no published study of any kind, not even one defining its structure.
DSIP
Early human dataDelta sleep-inducing peptide; small, mostly 1980s–90s sleep studies gave inconsistent results, and the positive ones came largely from one group.
Dihexa
Animal/lab onlyAngiotensin IV analogue studied for memory in animals; the papers behind its proposed mechanism were retracted in 2025.
Immune
Thymic peptides and immune-signalling compounds.
Thymosin Alpha-1
Approved outside the USThymic peptide (thymalfasin) approved in a number of countries, not the US, mainly for hepatitis B; its largest sepsis trial was negative.
VIP
Human trialsVasoactive intestinal peptide (aviptadil), studied in human trials for lung conditions; its largest COVID-19 trial was negative.