Independent public peptide educationEditorial and review policy

Public evidence library

Peptide guides that separate mechanism, human evidence, and marketing claims

Each guide uses the same reading frame: regulatory status, evidence level, known risks, important unknowns, common forum narratives, and links to the underlying sources.

Metabolic medicines

Semaglutide

Semaglutide has substantial human evidence and several FDA-approved uses, but the approved indication, formulation, and safety instructions depend on the specific product. A product sold with the same molecule name is not automatically equivalent to an FDA-approved medicine.

Substantial human evidence for specific approved uses

FDA-approved products exist

Metabolic medicines

Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is an FDA-approved medicine for specific uses and has substantial human evidence. That does not make every online or compounded tirzepatide product approved, equivalent, or appropriate for a particular person.

Substantial human evidence for specific approved uses

FDA-approved products exist

Investigational metabolic peptides

Retatrutide

Retatrutide is an investigational triple-receptor agonist. A phase 2 obesity trial reported large average weight reductions in some groups, but phase 3 evaluation and regulatory review are distinct steps, and retatrutide is not an FDA-approved medicine as of this review.

Encouraging human evidence; confirmatory development continues

Investigational, not FDA-approved

Investigational repair peptides

BPC-157

BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug. Most benefit claims come from laboratory or animal work and personal reports. A recruiting phase 2 hamstring study is important to watch, but it has not yet produced results.

Primarily preclinical evidence; human outcome evidence is not established

Not FDA-approved; clinical research is emerging

Unapproved repair peptides

TB-500

TB-500 is not an FDA-approved treatment. Online recovery claims often borrow from broader thymosin beta-4 biology, but FDA reports no identified human exposure data for the TB-500 fragment and lacks enough information to determine harm.

Insufficient human evidence

Not FDA-approved

Growth-hormone-axis peptides

CJC-1295

CJC-1295 can alter growth hormone and IGF-1 in small early human studies, but that does not establish anti-aging, muscle-building, recovery, or wellness benefits. It is not an FDA-approved treatment, and FDA reports limited clinical data plus serious adverse events.

Limited early human evidence focused on biomarkers

Not FDA-approved

Mitochondrial-derived peptides

MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied in metabolism and exercise biology. Research showing that the body produces it or that mice respond to experimental treatment does not establish that synthetic MOTS-c is a safe or effective human therapy.

Primarily preclinical and observational human evidence

Not FDA-approved

Mitochondrial medicines

Elamipretide (SS-31)

Elamipretide is FDA-approved under accelerated approval as Forzinity to improve muscle strength in people with Barth syndrome who weigh at least 30 kg. That narrow approval does not establish it as a general anti-aging, energy, exercise, or mitochondrial wellness treatment.

Limited human evidence supporting a narrow accelerated approval

FDA accelerated approval for a specific rare-disease use

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