compounds

Compounds

The whole category on one page, grouped by what people research each compound for, with the aliases that send readers to the wrong entry.

Last Reviewed 8 August 2026 Editorial policy Methodology

Every compound below is covered somewhere on this site, and the link on each row goes to where that coverage actually lives: a full evidence review where the published record carries one, or an entry inside the page for its category where it does not.

Coverage is tiered rather than uniform, and that is a deliberate choice with a measurement behind it. In this category the site that ranks best for the hardest term does it with roughly a quarter of the pages its nearest competitor runs. So a compound gets its own address when there is enough verified, sourced material to make that page worth landing on. Where the honest version would be three paragraphs and a table, it gets a few hundred properly cited words inside its category page instead, and the reader gets the same facts without the site carrying forty near-empty addresses.

Aliases are listed on every row because they are the commonest reason someone ends up reading about the wrong substance. Several compounds here are sold under invented names, some are blends named after their ingredients, and one of them is not a peptide at all.

Not medical advice

This page reports what has been documented about a compound. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, not a dosing protocol, and not a recommendation to obtain or use anything described here. Talk to a licensed clinician about anything concerning your health. Read the full disclaimer.

Reviewed against editorial standards Updated 8 August 2026

Find a compound

54 compounds, grouped by what people research them for. The list below is complete without JavaScript. The search box appears when scripting is available, and it only filters what is already on the page.

Metabolic and weight loss

The gut-hormone copies and the compounds sold alongside them, each with the trials that tested it and the regulatory record behind it.

Semaglutide

Also known as Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Sema GLP-1

A 31 amino acid analog of the gut hormone GLP-1, approved as a weight-loss and diabetes drug and also sold under invented names.

Completed phase 3 programs Approved drugprovisional until its own review publishes
Tirzepatide

Also known as Mounjaro, Zepbound, LY3298176, Tirz GLP-2

A 39 amino acid molecule that acts at two gut hormone receptors at once, approved for weight loss and diabetes.

Completed phase 3 programs Approved drugprovisional until its own review publishes
Retatrutide

Also known as LY3437943, Reta GLP-3, GLP-3 RT

A 39 amino acid molecule acting at three hormone receptors, still in trials and not approved anywhere.

Phase 3 read out, not approved Investigationalprovisional until its own review publishes
Cagrilintide

Also known as AM833, CagriSema (with semaglutide)

A long-acting analog of amylin, a hormone released alongside insulin, studied mostly in combination rather than alone.

Phase 3, mostly in combination Investigationalprovisional until its own review publishes
Survodutide

Also known as BI 456906

A molecule acting at two hormone receptors, GLP-1 and glucagon, in late-stage trials.

Phase 3 read out Investigationalprovisional until its own review publishes
AOD-9604

Also known as Anti-obesity drug 9604, hGH fragment 176-191

The tail end of human growth hormone, a fragment of a molecule with a large clinical record that never tested the fragment.

No registered trial under any spelling Unapprovedprovisional until its own review publishes
Tesofensine

Also known as NS2330

Not a peptide. A small molecule that blocks the reuptake of three brain chemicals, repurposed for weight loss after failing in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Phase 2 only Unapproved in the US
Mazdutide

Also known as IBI362, LY3305677

Another molecule acting at two hormone receptors, approved in China and covered almost nowhere in English.

Phase 3 published, not reviewed here Approved in China

Read the metabolic group page

Healing and recovery

The compounds people research for tendon, muscle, joint, skin and gut repair, each with the species, the model and the study design behind it named.

Read the healing and recovery group page

Growth hormone secretagogues

Nine compounds that raise growth hormone by acting on one of two receptors, including the only approved drug in the category and the one that is not a peptide.

Read the growth hormone secretagogue reference page

Longevity

Six compounds sold for ageing and mitochondrial health, including one approved drug, two molecules that are not peptides, and two whose trial counts measure rather than administer.

Epitalon

Also known as Epithalon, Epithalamin, AEDG peptide

A four amino acid peptide made to mimic an extract of the pineal gland, sold for ageing and sleep.

Not reviewed on this site yet Unapprovedprovisional until its own review publishes
MOTS-c

Also known as Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c

A sixteen amino acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA rather than by the DNA in the cell nucleus.

Not reviewed on this site yet Named on the WADA listprovisional until its own review publishes
SS-31

Also known as Elamipretide, MTP-131, Bendavia, Forzinity

A four amino acid peptide that concentrates in mitochondria, approved in 2025 for one rare condition.

Not reviewed on this site yet Approved in 2025 for one conditionprovisional until its own review publishes
NAD+

Also known as Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD

Not a peptide. A dinucleotide coenzyme every cell uses, sold as an injectable and, separately and lawfully, as an oral supplement.

Not reviewed on this site yet Injectable form unapprovedprovisional until its own review publishes
5-Amino-1MQ

Also known as 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium

Not a peptide. A small molecule that blocks an enzyme involved in how cells use NAD+.

No registered trials Unapproved. Not a peptide
Humanin

Also known as HN, HNG, S14G-humanin

A 24 amino acid peptide, also encoded by mitochondrial DNA, sold on the same reasoning as MOTS-c.

Registrations all observational Unapproved

Longevity compounds

Cognitive and sleep

Seven compounds sold for focus, memory, calm and sleep, each with the published record behind it named and graded.

Semax

Also known as N-acetyl semax amidate, NASA, ACTH (4-10) analog

A seven amino acid peptide built from a piece of a stress hormone, with the hormonal activity removed.

Not reviewed on this site yet A registered medicine in Russiaprovisional until its own review publishes
Selank

Also known as N-acetyl selank amidate, NAS, TP-7

A seven amino acid peptide based on tuftsin, an immune-signalling fragment, sold for anxiety.

Registrations mostly non-interventional A registered medicine in Russiaprovisional until its own review publishes
Cerebrolysin

Also known as FPF-1070

A mixture of small peptides and amino acids prepared from pig brain tissue, rather than a single defined peptide.

Reviewed repeatedly, results negative Unapproved in the USprovisional until its own review publishes
Dihexa D Animals and anecdote

Also known as PNB-0408, N-hexanoic-Tyr-Ile-(6) aminohexanoic amide

A small analog of angiotensin IV, a fragment of a blood-pressure hormone, sold for cognition.

Graded, 11 sources. No human studies. Mechanism paper retracted April 2025 Unapproved, and never evaluated by any agency
P21

Also known as P021, Cnt-2-Ada

A four amino acid derivative of a fragment of a nerve growth factor, studied only in rodents.

No human data Unapproved
DSIP

Also known as Delta sleep-inducing peptide, Emideltide

A nine amino acid peptide isolated from rabbit brain in 1977 and sold for sleep.

No registered trials Unapproved
Fosgonimeton C Human data, wrong question

Also known as ATH-1017, NDX-1017, Fosgonimeton acetate

A small-molecule drug candidate given by injection, aimed at the same growth-factor system dihexa is sold for, and tested in 554 people.

Graded, 12 sources. Six registered trials; the Phase 2/3 did not meet its primary endpoint Unapproved. Investigational only, no consumer supply

Cognitive and sleep peptides

Immune

Three compounds sold for immune function, separated by name, by evidence base, and by whether anyone has actually given them to a person.

Thymosin alpha-1 B Human data, not settled

Also known as Thymalfasin, Zadaxin, Talpha1

A 28 amino acid peptide first isolated from thymus tissue, approved as a medicine in many countries but not in the United States.

Graded, 26 sources. 62 registrations, and a 1,106 patient phase 3 reporting a hazard ratio of 0.99 Registered outside the US, unapproved in it
Thymulin

Also known as Zinc-thymulin, FTS, Facteur thymique serique

A nine amino acid thymus hormone that needs zinc to work, with essentially no modern human record.

One observational registration Unapproved
LL-37

Also known as Cathelicidin, CAP-18, hCAP18 (104-140)

A 37 amino acid antimicrobial peptide, the only one of its kind the human body makes.

Registrations mostly observational Unapprovedprovisional until its own review publishes

Read the immune group page

Sexual health

Four melanocortin and reproductive compounds, including two approved drugs sold under research names for something the approval never covered.

PT-141

Also known as Bremelanotide, Vyleesi

A seven amino acid ring-shaped melanocortin agonist, and a breakdown product of melanotan II, approved in 2019 for one indication.

Not reviewed on this site yet Approved drugprovisional until its own review publishes
Kisspeptin-10

Also known as Metastin, KP-10

A ten amino acid fragment of the product of the KISS1 gene, which sits at the top of the reproductive hormone cascade.

Trials largely used a longer form Unapprovedprovisional until its own review publishes
Melanotan I

Also known as Afamelanotide, Scenesse

A thirteen amino acid analog of the hormone that drives pigmentation, approved as an implant for a rare light-sensitivity disorder.

Approved for a rare condition Approved drug, sold otherwise
Melanotan II

Also known as MT-2, MT-II

A ring-shaped seven amino acid analog of the pigmentation hormone, less selective than melanotan I, sold for tanning.

One controlled human study, one registration Multiple regulator warningsprovisional until its own review publishes

Sexual health and pigmentation compounds

Muscle and performance

Growth factors and muscle-signal blockers, each set beside the molecule it gets confused with and the trials that belong to each one.

IGF-1 LR3 D Animals and anecdote

Also known as Long R3 IGF-1, IGF-1 Long Arg3

An 83 amino acid modified version of a natural growth factor, altered so that it evades the proteins that normally hold it inactive.

Graded, 12 sources. No human trials. Its 2025 study reports no growth promotion Unapproved. Native form approved
Follistatin-344 D Animals and anecdote

Also known as FS-344, FST-344, Follistatin

Not a peptide. A 344 amino acid glycoprotein that blocks a growth-limiting signal in muscle.

Graded, 12 sources. Every human trial delivered a gene, not the protein Unapproved biologic
ACE-031

Also known as Ramatercept, ActRIIB-Fc

Not a peptide. An engineered protein that traps the signals limiting muscle growth, whose trial program was stopped for safety.

Phase 2 terminated for safety Never approved, discontinued 2013provisional until its own review publishes
Myostatin inhibitors

Also known as GDF-8 antagonists, Myostatin, GDF-8

Not peptides. A family of antibodies and engineered proteins that block the signal limiting muscle growth, none of which has been approved anywhere.

None approved anywhere Unapproved
Mecasermin C Human data, wrong question

Also known as Increlex, rhIGF-1, recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1, mecasermin rinfabate, iPlex

A laboratory-made copy of insulin-like growth factor 1, approved as a prescription medicine for children with a severe deficiency of it.

Graded, 10 sources. Approved for a rare pediatric deficiency; 29 registry records Approved as INCRELEX, BLA021839. WADA prohibited at all times, non-Specified

Read the performance group page

Cosmetic peptides

Five topical peptides that are listed cosmetic ingredients rather than unapproved drugs, with the trial behind each one read in full.

Acetyl hexapeptide-8 B Human data, not settled

Also known as Argireline, Acetyl hexapeptide-3

A six amino acid peptide applied to the skin, which interferes with the machinery nerve endings use to release their signal.

Graded, 24 sources. Six registered trials, two with posted results, and an FDA penetration measurement Listed cosmetic ingredient
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4

Also known as Matrixyl, Matrixyl 3000, pal-KTTKS

A short peptide with a fatty tail attached to help it cross skin, one of the most widely used cosmetic peptides there is.

Best trial is manufacturer-run Listed cosmetic ingredient
Acetyl octapeptide-3 D Animals and anecdote

Also known as SNAP-8

An eight amino acid extension of Argireline, marketed as the stronger version of it.

Graded, 13 sources. No registered trial under any name, and no published study testing it alone Listed cosmetic ingredient
GHK-Cu, topical

Also known as Copper tripeptide-1, Copper peptide serum

The same copper-bound tripeptide sold as an injectable, in the form where it is a listed cosmetic ingredient rather than an unapproved drug.

Two randomized trials, neither separating from control Listed cosmetic ingredient
Pentapeptide-3

Also known as Vialox

A five amino acid cosmetic peptide sold on the same muscle-relaxing reasoning as Argireline.

Not reviewed on this site Listed cosmetic ingredient

Read the cosmetic peptide reference page

Compounds that get mixed up with each other

Several of the names above belong to more than one substance, or to a substance that is a piece of something better studied. Each page below sets out what each one actually is, and why the two get confused. There are 20 of them.

TB-500 and thymosin beta-4 One name covers two molecules of very different size, and the clinical record quoted for the short one was produced by the long one, in a tissue nobody buys it for.
SS-31 and elamipretide Two names, two registry counts, and one molecule underneath both of them, with a trial history that is unusually complete and unusually easy to misread.
PT-141 and melanotan II A metabolite and the molecule it comes from, set out on what each one is and what has actually been published about it.
NAD+ and peptides NAD+ is a coenzyme built from two nucleotides, filed on peptide menus for reasons of commerce rather than chemistry, and the difference changes what its evidence base contains.
Semax and selank Two peptides of the same length from the same laboratory, built on unrelated starting fragments, and sold so consistently as a pair that their abbreviations have started trading places.
Sermorelin vs CJC-1295 Two products cut from the same hormone, sold under names that differ by one word, with published records of completely different sizes.
CJC-1295 vs CJC-1295 with DAC The same base peptide sold as two products, separated by a linker that decides how long it stays in blood and which one has a human record.
GHK-Cu topical vs injected The same copper-carrying tripeptide, sold two ways, sitting on opposite sides of the line between cosmetic law and drug law.
GHK-Cu vs Matrixyl Two lawful cosmetic ingredients, sold as rivals, with a shared chemical core sitting inside one of them.
Argireline vs SNAP-8 One cosmetic peptide built as an extension of another, sold on the same mechanism, with published records of very different sizes.
Thymosin alpha-1 and thymulin Two peptides made by the thymus, one carrying the deepest trial record in this catalog outside the metabolic group and the other carrying a nutrition literature, sold beside each other on the strength of a shared syllable.
Thymosin alpha-1 and thymosin beta-4 Two molecules that share a word because of where they were first isolated, with trial programmes in fields that do not touch: sepsis and infection for one, the surface of the eye for the other.
IGF-1 LR3 and mecasermin Two versions of one growth factor: the natural sequence, which is an approved medicine with a documented harm rate, and an engineered variant built to slip past the proteins that hold the natural one in check.
Follistatin-344 and follistatin gene therapy One name, two entirely different interventions: a protein sold in a vial, and a virus carrying a gene into a named muscle in a hospital. The published human results belong to the second.
MOTS-c and humanin Two peptides encoded by the mitochondrion's own DNA, with registry counts that describe measurement programmes rather than treatment programmes.
Dihexa and fosgonimeton The same proposed mechanism, characterised to two completely different depths, with every fact on both sides carrying a date and a document.
Kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54 Two lengths of the same reproductive hormone, with the published human work split unevenly between them.
Melanotan I and melanotan II Two names one digit apart, attached to two molecules whose published records were built for entirely different questions.
AOD-9604 and growth hormone A short synthetic fragment set beside the 191 amino acid hormone it was cut from, with the registry and the labelling for each stated separately, because almost everything published belongs to one of them.
Ipamorelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 Three short peptides acting at the same receptor, sold as near-substitutes, whose published records were built to answer three questions that have almost nothing to do with each other.

The questions people ask before they pick a compound

The index above answers "which compound". These pages answer the questions that come before it, about the category rather than about any one molecule. There are 3 of them.

Are peptides steroids? Two different classes of molecule, built differently and governed by different parts of federal law. Here is what each one is, and which document draws the line.
Are peptides legal in the US? The answer has layers, and the layer a compound sits in decides everything. Here is each one, with the statute, regulation or agency document behind it.
Do peptides work? The evidence sits per compound and per claim, which is why every claim on this site carries a tier. Three worked examples show what that looks like in practice.

How to read a row

The letter beside a name is an evidence grade, and it appears only where this site has run its own source review on that compound. It is derived from the tiers on the individual claims on that compound's page rather than assigned here, so a grade on this index cannot disagree with the page behind it. Where no review has been run the row says so and shows no letter, because a grade this site has not derived is a grade it does not publish.

A grade describes how well studied a compound is. It is not a statement about whether anything happens, and it is not a recommendation. The methodology page sets out how the five claim tiers and the four grades are derived, and every tier chip on every page links back to its own definition there.

The regulatory note on each row is a pointer rather than the position itself. Agency status changes, and the dated version, with the document behind it, is on the page the row links to.

The category pages

Read the metabolic group page The gut-hormone copies and the compounds sold alongside them, each with the trials that tested it and the regulatory record behind it.
Read the healing and recovery group page The compounds people research for tendon, muscle, joint, skin and gut repair, each with the species, the model and the study design behind it named.
Read the growth hormone secretagogue reference page Nine compounds that raise growth hormone by acting on one of two receptors, including the only approved drug in the category and the one that is not a peptide.
Longevity compounds Six compounds sold for ageing and mitochondrial health, including one approved drug, two molecules that are not peptides, and two whose trial counts measure rather than administer.
Cognitive and sleep peptides Seven compounds sold for focus, memory, calm and sleep, each with the published record behind it named and graded.
Read the immune group page Three compounds sold for immune function, separated by name, by evidence base, and by whether anyone has actually given them to a person.
Sexual health and pigmentation compounds Four melanocortin and reproductive compounds, including two approved drugs sold under research names for something the approval never covered.
Read the performance group page Growth factors and muscle-signal blockers, each set beside the molecule it gets confused with and the trials that belong to each one.
Read the cosmetic peptide reference page Five topical peptides that are listed cosmetic ingredients rather than unapproved drugs, with the trial behind each one read in full.