GHRH Analog (Egrifta)
The only FDA-approved GHRH analog. Reduces visceral fat. Widely used off-label.
GH-Releasing / GHRH AnalogFDA approved November 10, 2010 (Egrifta) for excess visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy; F8 formulation approved as Egrifta WR. No approval for anti-aging, GH optimization, or body recomposition in healthy adults.
FDA-approved GHRH drug used off-label in a fat-loss stack
approved drug, off-label stack
Growth-hormone-releasing peptide stackTesamorelin is FDA-approved, but ONLY as Egrifta/Egrifta SV to reduce excess belly fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Using it for general fat loss or anti-aging is off-label. Ipamorelin is not FDA-approved for anything, and the combination is not approved.
Beta-Ala-His Dipeptide
A naturally occurring dipeptide concentrated in muscle and brain, with anti-glycation, antioxidant, and pH-buffering properties. Studied for exercise performance, aging, and metabolic health. Available as an oral supplement.
Antioxidant / Anti-Glycation DipeptideNot an FDA-approved drug; sold and regulated as a dietary supplement in the United States
GHRH Analog + GH Secretagogue Stack
The most commercially active unapproved stack, and the most formally flagged by the FDA.
GH SecretagogueUnapproved; both reviewed by PCAC and recommended against 503A bulks inclusion
Triple-stack adding an older, stronger secretagogue
aggressive GH triple-stack
Growth-hormone-releasing peptide stackNo component is FDA-approved for any use. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are also on the FDA's list of peptides that cannot be legally compounded. Available only through unregulated channels.
GHRH 1-29 Analog (Geref)
FDA-approved analog whose approval lapsed for commercial reasons. The conservative entry to GH work.
GH-Releasing / GHRH AnalogGeref (sermorelin acetate) was FDA-approved in 1997 for pediatric growth hormone deficiency; the manufacturer EMD Serono voluntarily discontinued it in 2008 and requested withdrawal of NDA 20-443 for commercial, not safety, reasons. No FDA-approved sermorelin product exists today; all current use is off-label via compounding pharmacies.
Older once-approved GHRH analog used in milder GH stacks
once-approved, now compounded
Growth-hormone-releasing peptide stackSermorelin was FDA-approved in 1997 as Geref, but only as a diagnostic for childhood growth-hormone deficiency, not for anti-aging or fat loss; the brand was voluntarily discontinued in 2008 for business reasons. Today's sermorelin is sold as a compounded product off-label; Ipamorelin is not approved.
HGH Fragment 176-191
The fat-burning fragment of HGH, no muscle effect. Australian origin. Failed its obesity trial.
Fat Metabolism / HGH FragmentNot FDA approved; no New Drug Application filed and no approval letter for any use. Industry expert-panel GRAS self-affirmation exists for limited food-ingredient use only, which is not FDA endorsement and does not cover drug or compounded use. Removed from Category 2 of the FDA interim 503A compounding bulks list on September 27, 2024 and referred to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee.
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.
Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-6
The original GH secretagogue. Big appetite spike. Largely replaced by ipamorelin.
GH SecretagogueNot Approved
HGH C-Terminal Fat Metabolism Fragment
A C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone marketed for fat loss, essentially the same molecule as AOD-9604 aside from a stabilizing N-terminal tyrosine. AOD-9604 failed its pivotal Phase 2b obesity trial against placebo and was discontinued; the fragment itself has no human trials, no FDA-approved product, and is sold as an unapproved research chemical.
Fat Metabolism FragmentNo FDA-approved product. In the near-identical analog AOD-9604, the FDA proposed at the December 4, 2024 PCAC meeting not to include it on the 503A bulk drug substances list, citing insufficient safety and efficacy data, immunogenicity risk, and the absence of an approved application. The fragment itself is sold as an unapproved research chemical.
Long R3 Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1
A direct anabolic signal that skips the pituitary. Serious risk profile.
Anabolic / Muscle GrowthNot approved for human use. Sold as a cell-culture research reagent labeled not for human consumption. The only FDA-approved recombinant IGF-1 is the separate native-sequence drug mecasermin (Increlex), approved in 2005 solely for severe primary IGF-1 deficiency in children.
Methionine-Inositol-Choline Injectable
Not a true peptide but a staple of weight-loss clinics, a compounded blend of methionine, inositol, and choline (often with B12) marketed to support fat metabolism. Grouped with injectable wellness compounds. Minimal controlled evidence.
Lipotropic / Fat MetabolismUnapproved compounded product; no FDA-approved MIC/lipotropic injection and FDA states no credible evidence that injected fat-dissolving compounds work for fat elimination
Mechano Growth Factor
An IGF-1 splice variant produced locally in damaged muscle in response to mechanical stress, activating satellite cells for repair. Strong animal data for hypertrophy.
Muscle RepairNot FDA-approved and not evaluated by the FDA for human use; marketed only as a research chemical
CJC-1295 Without DAC
CJC-1295 without the albumin-binding DAC. Shorter half-life, requiring more frequent dosing, but considered by some protocols to produce a more physiological GH pulse.
GHRH AnalogNot approved; sold only as a research chemical. Evaluated for the 503A compounding bulks list and flagged for immunogenicity, aggregation, and impurity concerns; not an approved or compoundable drug.
Pegylated Mechano Growth Factor
A PEGylated MGF with a dramatically extended half-life (days vs. minutes), allowing once-weekly dosing. No clinical data.
Muscle Repair (Extended)Not Approved
GH Optimization Combination
A common compounding-pharmacy combination pairing the GHRH analog sermorelin with the secretagogue GHRP-2 for a synergistic growth-hormone pulse. The more conservative cousin of the CJC-1295/Ipamorelin stack.
GH Secretagogue StackNo FDA-approved sermorelin+GHRP-2 combination product. Prepared as an off-label compounded stack. Sermorelin was FDA-approved as Geref in 1997 and discontinued in 2008 for commercial reasons; GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) was never FDA-approved and sits in Category 3 of the interim 503A bulks list, while related GH-secretagogue peptides have been removed from Category 2 and referred to PCAC review.
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.