GLP-1 Receptor Agonist · Ozempic / Wegovy
The drug that pulled all of peptide medicine into the mainstream.
Metabolic / GLP-1FDA approved: Ozempic (injection) 2017 for type 2 diabetes, Rybelsus (oral) 2019 for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy (2.4 mg) 2021 for chronic weight management; later cardiovascular and kidney indications added.
Dual GIP/GLP-1 Agonist · Mounjaro / Zepbound
Beat semaglutide head-to-head: 20.2% vs 13.7%. The current peak of incretin medicine.
Metabolic / Dual IncretinFDA Approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound)
Bremelanotide · Melanocortin Agonist (Vyleesi)
The only FDA-approved peptide for sexual dysfunction, and the one most used off-label.
Sexual DysfunctionFDA approved June 2019 as Vyleesi (bremelanotide injection, 1.75 mg subcutaneous) for acquired, generalized HSDD in premenopausal women; off-label injectable PT-141 for male ED or general libido is unapproved, and compounded PT-141 (including nasal spray) is not FDA-approved.
Triple GIP/GLP-1/Glucagon Agonist (Lilly)
Phase 3 hit 28.3% weight loss in May 2026. The biggest number in obesity medicine.
Triple Incretin AgonistNot FDA-approved. Phase 3 obesity trial TRIUMPH-1 topline reported positive May 2026 (n=2,339); TRIUMPH-2, TRIUMPH-3 and the cardiovascular outcomes trial ongoing. NDA submission anticipated but not yet filed as of July 2026.
Dual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist
An experimental dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist being tested in phase 3 trials for obesity, type 2 diabetes and liver disease.
Metabolic / Dual receptor agonistNo marketing approval was established in the sources reviewed through 2026-09-06. An EMA pediatric-plan decision concerns development and is not marketing authorization. An FDA warning letter described a marketed product bearing this name as an unapproved new drug.
Cagrilintide + Semaglutide (Novo Nordisk)
Novo Nordisk's once-weekly fixed combination of cagrilintide (amylin analogue) and semaglutide (GLP-1 agonist). Phase 3 REDEFINE 1 showed 22.7% mean weight loss, among the strongest obesity results reported, but it missed the company's own 25% ambition and sent the stock lower. An FDA NDA was filed in December 2025 with review expected in 2026; it is not yet approved.
Combined Amylin/GLP-1NDA submitted to FDA 18 December 2025 (REDEFINE 1 and REDEFINE 2); FDA review expected 2026; not yet approved
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.
GLP-1 drug plus add-on metabolism peptides
approved drug plus unproven add-ons
Mixed: approved incretin drug plus experimental peptidesThe GLP-1 base drugs are FDA-approved: semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are cleared for diabetes and/or obesity. GLP-1 means glucagon-like peptide-1, a gut hormone that signals fullness; tirzepatide also hits a second receptor called GIP. The add-on peptides are NOT approved as weight drugs: AOD-9604 has no drug approval (it holds a narrow food-ingredient GRAS notice and the FDA declined to add it to the compounding list in December 2024), and MOTS-c and 5-Amino-1MQ are sold as research chemicals only. The stack as a whole is not an approved regimen.
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.
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.
GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500 skin-and-healing blend
Cosmetic and healing blend
Informal multi-peptide blend (copper tripeptide plus two repair peptides)None of the three ingredients is an FDA-approved drug. In late 2023 the FDA put BPC-157 and TB-500 on a restricted list (Category 2) that blocks pharmacies from compounding them. Most product sold is labeled research-use-only, not for human use.
GLOW blend plus KPV anti-inflammatory tripeptide
Skin, healing, and anti-inflammation blend
Informal multi-peptide blend (GLOW plus an anti-inflammatory tripeptide)No ingredient in KLOW is an FDA-approved drug. BPC-157 and TB-500 were placed on the FDA restricted compounding list in late 2023. KPV and GHK-Cu are not approved drugs either. Almost all product is sold as research-use-only, not for human use.
Russian nootropic and anti-anxiety peptide pair
russian nootropic pair
Synthetic regulatory peptides (ACTH-fragment analog + tuftsin analog), used intranasallyThe US Food and Drug Administration has not approved Semax or Selank for any use. They are not recognized US medicines. They are registered medicines in Russia.
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.
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.
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.