There are hundreds of different types of peptides. Most are noise. This is the list of peptides people actually run. A peptide guide ranking the best peptides by evidence, not by who sells them. 20 profiles with protocols, peptide side effects, and dosing. Whether you are researching peptides for beginners or comparing compounds you already know, every profile here tells you what the data actually says.
Also known as: HGH Fragment 176–191
The one that was supposed to be a fat burner. It's a fragment of growth hormone that looked great in animal studies but failed its big human trial for weight loss. It still circulates, but the human evidence isn't there.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Body Protection Compound 157
The gateway peptide. If you've heard of one, it's this one. The internet swears it heals everything from bad knees to a broken heart. The animal data is wild, showing gut and tendon repair. Human trials are still pending, but the community reports are a firehose.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Modified GRF 1-29 / GHRH Analogue
Part of the classic growth hormone stack, usually paired with Ipamorelin. It tells your body to release more GH. Most protocols run it before bed for recovery and better sleep.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: AEDG peptide
The telomere peptide. It supposedly activates the enzyme that lengthens your telomeres, the caps on your DNA. The data is almost entirely from Russian research, with little Western replication.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Copper Tripeptide-1
The 'did you get work done?' peptide. It's a copper peptide your body makes to signal collagen production, but levels drop after your twenties. This is the patch for that. The skin and hair data is the most solid.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Growth Hormone Secretagogue
The other half of the bedtime GH stack. It triggers your own growth hormone release without messing with cortisol. Considered a cleaner signal than older secretagogues.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Lysine-Proline-Valine (alpha-MSH fragment)
A tiny anti-inflammatory peptide fragment being studied for gut issues like IBD. The mouse data is promising, but human data isn't really out there yet.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Melanocortin Agonist (Tanning Peptide)
The one that gives you a real tan without the sun. It works, but it darkens moles, raises libido, and causes nausea at loading doses. Not subtle.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA Type-c
Your mitochondria literally encode this peptide. Levels drop as you age. Supplementing it improves insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity in animal studies. The longevity crowd is watching this one closely.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
The cellular energy molecule that declines with age. Everyone's selling IV drips; subcutaneous is cheaper and the bioavailability argument is settling out. Not technically a peptide, but it's in every protocol conversation.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Bremelanotide (Vyleesi)
FDA-approved for low sexual desire in women. Works on your brain's desire circuit, not blood flow. The approved route is subcutaneous, not intranasal.
Evidence tier: Tier 3 — Strong (approved for something, with large human trials)
Also known as: Triple GLP-1/GIP/Glucagon Receptor Agonist
Three receptors at once: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Phase 2 posted 24.2% weight loss at 48 weeks — higher than any approved drug. Phase 3 ongoing.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: TP-7
The anxiety peptide for people who won't admit they're anxious. Modulates GABA, boosts BDNF, no sedation. Approved in Russia; off-label everywhere else.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: GLP-1 Receptor Agonist (Ozempic / Wegovy)
Ozempic, but you're sourcing it yourself. The most studied weight-loss compound on this list. Approved for T2D and obesity. The data is not ambiguous.
Evidence tier: Tier 3 — Strong (approved for something, with large human trials)
Also known as: ACTH(4-7)-PGP
Clean focus without the Adderall hangover. Boosts BDNF, dopamine, and serotonin. Approved in Russia for stroke recovery; nootropic use is off-label.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Elamipretide (Forzinity)
The first FDA-approved mitochondrial drug. Makes your cells' power plants work like they did when you were younger. Approved for Barth syndrome; longevity use is off-label.
Evidence tier: Tier 3 — Strong (approved for something, with large human trials)
Also known as: BI 456906
Dual GLP-1 and glucagon agonist. Phase 3 just dropped: 16.6% weight loss, plus impressive liver data. Not yet approved anywhere.
Evidence tier: Tier 2 — Emerging (human data exists but is small or off-label)
Also known as: Thymosin Beta-4 Fragment
BPC-157's systemic sibling. Where BPC targets the injury site, TB-500 travels through the bloodstream to reach it. Often stacked together for recovery.
Evidence tier: Tier 1 — Early (animal data and community reports only)
Also known as: Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Analog (Egrifta)
FDA-approved for visceral fat in HIV patients. Targets the deep belly fat wrapping your organs. The scan data showing visceral reduction is real and large-trial confirmed.
Evidence tier: Tier 3 — Strong (approved for something, with large human trials)
Also known as: Dual GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Agonist (Mounjaro / Zepbound)
Mounjaro/Zepbound. Hits both GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Outperforms semaglutide on weight loss in head-to-head trials. Approved for T2D and obesity.
Evidence tier: Tier 3 — Strong (approved for something, with large human trials)
There are hundreds of different types of peptides. Most are research dead-ends or relics from abandoned trials. The ones below are the types that keep coming up in every group chat, subreddit, and late-night search. Sorted by why people take them.
BPC-157 and TB-500 are where most people start. BPC is a gastric peptide fragment with hundreds of animal studies showing gut and tendon repair. TB-500 is a thymosin beta-4 fragment that travels systemically. People stack both because they work different pathways. Neither has completed a human clinical trial, but the community data is dense enough that they dominate every beginner conversation. Evidence tier: Early.
This is the Ozempic conversation. Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) are FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonists with the largest clinical trial datasets on this entire list. Semaglutide posted ~15% weight loss in the STEP trials. Tirzepatide outperformed it head-to-head with ~22.5% at the highest dose (SURMOUNT-1, NEJM 2023). Retatrutide is the triple agonist (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) that posted 24.2% in Phase 2 (Jastreboff et al., NEJM 2023). Phase 3 is ongoing. Evidence tier: Strong (sema, tirz) / Emerging (reta).
GHK-Cu (copper tripeptide-1) is the standout. Your body produces it naturally to signal collagen and elastin production, but levels drop sharply after your mid-twenties. Both injectable and topical forms exist. The skin data is the strongest in this category, with multiple small human trials showing wound healing acceleration and collagen density improvement. Melanotan II produces a real melanin-based tan without UV exposure, but darkens moles, raises libido, and causes nausea at loading doses. Evidence tier: Emerging.
The most speculative shelf. Epithalon supposedly activates telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens telomere caps on your DNA. The data comes almost entirely from Russian research groups with limited Western replication. MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that improves insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity in animal models. SS-31 (elamipretide) is actually FDA-approved for Barth syndrome, making it the only approved mitochondrial drug. Longevity use is off-label. NAD+ is not technically a peptide, but it shows up in every protocol conversation. Evidence tier: Mixed (SS-31 is Strong, the rest are Early).
Semax and Selank are both approved in Russia and used off-label everywhere else. Semax boosts BDNF, dopamine, and serotonin. Originally developed for stroke recovery, nootropic use is off-label. Selank modulates GABA without sedation or dependence. No crash, no hangover. They are often run together. Evidence tier: Emerging (Russian clinical data, limited Western replication).
PT-141 (bremelanotide, brand name Vyleesi) is the only FDA-approved peptide specifically for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women (Kingsberg et al., Obstetrics & Gynecology 2019). It works on the melanocortin system in the brain, targeting desire itself rather than blood flow. The approved route is subcutaneous injection. Evidence tier: Strong.
CJC-1295 paired with Ipamorelin before bed is the classic growth hormone secretagogue stack. They signal your pituitary to release more of your own GH. Tesamorelin (brand name Egrifta) is FDA-approved for reducing visceral adipose tissue in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, with MRI scan data confirming visceral fat reduction in large trials. Off-label use for body composition is common. Evidence tier: Emerging (CJC + Ipa) / Strong (Tesamorelin).
Because these are the ones people actually run. The list covers every compound with meaningful human evidence, an FDA interaction, or enough real-world use that you will encounter it. We add a peptide when evidence justifies it, not on request.
Tier 3 means approved by a major regulator (FDA, EMA) for a human indication. Tier 2 means human clinical trial data exists, phase 2 or phase 3, even if not approved. Tier 1 means early research only: rodent data, case reports, or abandoned trials. Tier does not mean safe or effective for your use case. It means how far along the evidence is. The methodology page explains how we grade.
Five compounds on this list have FDA approval for at least one indication: semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy for T2D and obesity), tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound for T2D and obesity), PT-141 (Vyleesi for HSDD in premenopausal women), tesamorelin (Egrifta for HIV lipodystrophy), and SS-31 (elamipretide for Barth syndrome). Approved does not mean approved for the reason you want to use it.
It depends on where you live and what you are buying. FDA-approved peptides are legal with a prescription. Research peptides sold "for research purposes only" exist in a grey area in many jurisdictions. Some countries (Australia, for example) have moved to restrict or schedule specific peptides. This wiki does not sell peptides and cannot give legal advice. Check your local regulations.
FDA-approved peptides (semaglutide, tirzepatide, PT-141, tesamorelin) require a prescription. Compounded versions may be available through telehealth clinics. Research-grade peptides are sold without a prescription in many countries, but this does not mean they are regulated or guaranteed for purity.
BPC-157 is where most people start because the side-effect profile in community reports is mild (occasional headache, nausea at higher doses) and it does not affect hormones. That said, it has zero completed human trials. For a peptide with actual human safety data, semaglutide and tirzepatide have the largest trial populations. "Safe" is relative to your specific situation. Talk to a clinician.
Steroids are synthetic hormones that directly replace or supplement your body's testosterone, estrogen, or cortisol. Peptides are signaling molecules that tell your body to do something it already does: release growth hormone, repair tissue, or suppress appetite. Peptides do not cause the androgenic side effects (acne, hair loss, virilization) associated with anabolic steroids. They are different classes of compounds with different mechanisms, side-effect profiles, and legal statuses.
Approved means a regulator signed off on it for one specific condition, under one brand name, at one dose. Tesamorelin is approved for HIV lipodystrophy, not general belly fat. Whether a clinic will prescribe it off-label is a separate question that varies by jurisdiction and provider.
Search the wiki for the name or an alias. If it is not indexed, we have not found enough evidence to write about it honestly. The chart puts everything we do cover side by side on dose, cadence, and storage.
This page is maintained by the vialprep editorial team. Content is reviewed against PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and FDA databases. Evidence tiers are assigned using the vialprep methodology. Last reviewed September 2026. Clinical citations are linked inline where available. This page is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting any protocol.
