Prialt · Cone Snail Toxin Peptide
An FDA-approved pain medication derived from cone-snail venom, delivered only intrathecally (into the spinal cord). Powerful relief for refractory chronic pain.
Pain / N-Type Calcium Channel BlockerFDA approved December 28, 2004 (Prialt, intrathecal infusion) with boxed warning for severe psychiatric and neurological adverse effects
Copper Tripeptide · Gly-His-Lys-Cu²⁺
In your blood since birth. Declining since 30. Search volume up 1,016% year-over-year.
Regenerative / Cosmetic / Gene-RegulatoryNot FDA drug-approved for any indication. Legal as a cosmetic ingredient (INCI copper tripeptide-1) under MoCRA; injectable is unapproved.
Gattex · GLP-2 Receptor Agonist
GLP-2 is an intestinotrophic gut hormone. Its DPP-4-resistant analog teduglutide (Gattex/Revestive) is FDA-approved for short bowel syndrome and reduces the need for intravenous nutrition, but native GLP-2 sold for leaky gut and IBD is an unapproved research chemical with no human trials.
GI Mucosal / Gut TrophicTeduglutide FDA Approved (Gattex, adults 2012; children 1yr+ 2019); native GLP-2 not approved
Thymalfasin / TA1
The other Goldstein thymic peptide. Approved in 35+ countries. Strong post-COVID research.
Immune Enhancement / ThymicNot FDA-approved for any US indication; marketed as Zadaxin (thymalfasin) in ~35 countries for chronic hepatitis B/C and as an immune adjunct. In the US it has been available only via compounding, and the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (Dec 2024) reviewed TA1 as a 503A bulk drug substance and flagged immunogenicity/aggregation concerns, moving toward barring it from 503A compounding.
Non-Erythropoietic EPO Fragment
An 11-amino-acid erythropoietin-derived (helix-B) peptide that activates the innate repair receptor without raising red blood cell count. Developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals; completed Phase 2 for sarcoidosis-associated small-fibre neuropathy with modest, promising but not confirmatory signals. Not FDA-approved.
Innate Repair Receptor AgonistNot FDA-approved. Completed Phase 2; holds FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations for sarcoidosis neuropathic pain, which are development designations, not approvals.
Gly-Pro-Hyp · Oral Collagen
A purified low-molecular-weight fraction of hydrolyzed collagen enriched in the Gly-Pro-Hyp tripeptide, taken orally for skin and joint support. Small RCTs report gains in hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles, but a 2025 meta-analysis found those benefits concentrated in industry-funded and low-quality trials and non-significant in high-quality independent studies, and the digested-to-amino-acids versus bioactive-signaling question remains unresolved.
Oral CollagenNot FDA-approved as a drug; marketed as a food ingredient / dietary supplement. Hydrolyzed collagen is generally treated as a conventional food protein, but 'GRAS / approved' overstates a specific FDA determination for collagen tripeptide; the accurate status is an unapproved (for any disease claim) food ingredient sold under DSHEA, not an FDA-approved product.
AT-1001 Tight Junction Regulator
A synthetic 8-amino-acid tight junction regulator (zonulin antagonist) developed for celiac disease. It reached Phase 3, the furthest of any celiac drug, but that pivotal trial (9 Meters Biopharma, CeDLara) was discontinued in 2022 for futility after an interim analysis, and it is not approved. Gray-market 'leaky gut' use is unsupported by outcome trials.
Gut Permeability / Tight JunctionNever approved. Reached Phase 3 (CeDLara, 9 Meters Biopharma), the furthest any celiac drug has advanced, but the Phase 3 was discontinued in June 2022 for futility after an interim analysis. FDA Fast Track designation had been granted earlier; no approval followed.
Human Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide
The body's own antibiotic. In neutrophils and skin. Anti-cancer signals emerging.
Antimicrobial / ImmunomodulatoryNo FDA-approved LL-37 product; human use is limited to early-phase investigational trials (topical chronic-wound RCTs and a Phase I intratumoral melanoma study). Injectable and gray-market 'research chemical' LL-37 is unapproved for human use.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide
The inflammation resolver. The signature of Dr. Shoemaker's mold-illness protocol.
Neuropeptide / Immune RegulatorNo FDA-approved VIP or aviptadil product. FDA declined Emergency Use Authorization for Zyesami (aviptadil) in critical COVID-19 on 4 Nov 2021; holds orphan-drug designation for sarcoidosis (investigational only).
BPC-157 + TB-500 + GHK-Cu broader-healing trio
broad healing
peptide combination (injectable + copper peptide)Not FDA-approved as a stack. BPC-157 and TB-500 are unapproved drugs; BPC-157 was placed in compounding Category 2 in 2023-2024. GHK-Cu is permitted in topical cosmetics, but injectable GHK-Cu is not an approved drug and falls under the same compounding scrutiny.
BPC-157 + TB-500 injury-recovery peptide pairing
injury recovery
injectable peptide combination (research chemical)Not FDA-approved for any use. Neither peptide is an approved drug. The FDA placed BPC-157 in Category 2 of the 503A compounding bulk-substances list in 2023-2024, citing safety concerns and lack of human data; an April 2026 HHS announcement signaled intent to remove it from Category 2, but that process was not finalized at the time of writing.
Relaxin Single-Chain Peptide
A single-chain functional analog of the hormone relaxin, designed for anti-fibrotic effects without relaxin's synthesis complexity. Research interest for organ fibrosis (heart, lung, kidney).
Anti-Fibrotic / Relaxin AnalogNo FDA approval; preclinical research compound only, sold as research chemical not for human use
Body Protection Compound-157
The most discussed unapproved peptide in the world.
Tissue RepairUnapproved drug. Placed on the FDA 503A Category 2 list (bulk substances that may present significant safety risks) in 2023; removed from Category 2 in April 2026 on procedural grounds after nominations were withdrawn, then referred to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC meeting July 23, 2026). Not FDA-approved and not on the positive 503A bulks list.
Lys-Pro-Val Anti-Inflammatory Tripeptide
The anti-inflammatory tail of MSH. Gut-specific. Now in front of the FDA committee.
Anti-Inflammatory / GutNot FDA-approved for any indication. Reviewed at the July 2026 PCAC meeting, where FDA proposed NOT adding KPV to the Section 503A bulk drug substances list, citing that the substance is not well characterized and that human evidence of effectiveness and safety is lacking. Sold as a research chemical and via compounding, not as an approved drug.
BPC-157 Arginine Variant
A modified BPC-157 with an arginine substitution, created to stay accessible to compounding pharmacies after the 2023 BPC-157 restrictions. Rising fast as a "legal" alternative despite very little independent data.
Tissue Repair / Arginine-ModifiedNot FDA approved; the parent compound BPC-157 is designated a Category 2 bulk drug substance (significant safety risks, not permitted for 503A/503B compounding). PDA is not separately listed and inherits this status as the same active pentadecapeptide sequence.
Thymosin Beta-4 Synthetic Fragment
Naturally present in nearly every human cell. Banned in every sport.
Regenerative / Anti-InflammatoryNot FDA-approved for any use. FDA proposed at the July 23, 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee that TB-500 (free base) and TB-500 acetate not be added to the 503A compounding bulks list, citing a lack of human effectiveness data, an in-vitro study in which TB-500 did not induce wound healing in fibroblast cultures, and immunogenicity concerns from injectable routes.