List of peptides and their approval status

People type "list of peptides" into a search box and get back a wall of names with no map. So here is the map. Every peptide below gets one line on what kind of molecule it is, plus the part most lists leave out: its regulatory status. Approved medicine, investigational, unapproved research chemical, supplement, cosmetic.

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids, a signalling molecule between cells; the longer version is here: what peptides are. The names below fall into worlds that barely overlap. Some are licensed medicines with an approved label behind them. Some are sold in vials stamped "not for human use."

Metabolic and incretin-class peptides

This is the group that turned "peptide" into a household word. Chemically these are analogues of incretin hormones, the gut signalling molecules described in the physiological loop between digestive tract, pancreas and brain.

Three of those four are licensed medicines dispensed on prescription under an approved label. Retatrutide is the odd one out: as of 2026 it is still in phase 3 trials, so no regulator has cleared it for any use, whatever the forums say.

Research peptides with no approval anywhere

Now the swerve. This is where "peptide" stops meaning "medicine" and starts meaning "thing sold online." None of the compounds below is approved for human use in any major market. The label usually reads "research chemical" or "for laboratory use only," which is not marketing coyness but the regulatory position.

One naming point, because listings blur it. Thymosin beta-4 is a naturally occurring protein found in human cells; TB-500 is a trade designation for a synthetic fragment, and that designation is not standardised: no pharmacopoeia defines what it must contain. Neither is approved as a medicine, and both appear in the sport rulebooks discussed under are peptides banned in sport.

These are not medicines. They have not completed human safety and efficacy trials, and no regulator lists them as approved. The FDA has described the "research use only" label as a ruse where such peptides are marketed for human use; in Australia several sit in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard, which is prescription-only status whatever a vial says.

Growth-hormone-axis peptides

These are analogues of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) or agonists at the ghrelin receptor, both studied in relation to pituitary growth hormone secretion. Bodybuilding forums discuss them heavily. Regulators, with one exception below, have not licensed them.

The pattern here is worth naming. Tesamorelin sits in the same chemical family as sermorelin and CJC-1295, but it ran the full trial and review process and holds an approval for one narrowly defined indication. The others did not. Same neighbourhood, very different legal address. Most of this table is also named on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List, independently of approval.

Other approved hormonal and clinical peptides

This is the part of the list nobody screenshots, and it is the biggest one by far. These have been quiet, routine prescription medicines for decades.

Every entry here carries the same paperwork: a marketing authorisation, an approved label, a named manufacturer and a prescriber standing between substance and patient. That is what "approved" in the status column means.

Cosmetic and dietary peptides

A different regulatory shelf entirely. These are not medicines and are not marketed as medicines.

The legal position here is at least unambiguous: collagen powder is regulated as food, a copper-peptide serum as a cosmetic, each bound by its own advertising rules. Neither may be presented as treating an injury or a condition.

Reading the status column

Chemistry does not tell you how a substance is classified. Registers do. Two peptides can sit one row apart, near-identical molecules, and one is a pharmacy medicine while the other is a vial with a disclaimer on it.

Status is not a single global fact either: approved in one country, unapproved in another, named on the anti-doping list regardless. There is a rundown of which peptides are FDA approved and a look at whether peptides are legal where you live. The reconstitution calculator is a plain unit converter for mg, mL and syringe units.

This is a list of names grouped by class and legal status, not a shopping list. The research chemicals above keep turning up dressed as supplements; their paper trail stops at animal studies.

Common questions

What does approval status mean on a peptide list?

Approval status describes how a medicines regulator classifies a substance: approved with a licensed product label, investigational and still in trials, or not approved at all. It is a legal classification recorded in public registers, not a verdict on how well something works.

Are research peptides the same as supplements?

No. A dietary supplement is a regulated food category, while a research chemical holds no marketing authorisation as either a medicine or a food and is not approved for human use in any major market.

Where these status labels come from

Compiled from public regulatory registers, not vendor listings:

• Drugs@FDA, the US approval register
• EMA medicines database
• FDA warning letters, including actions on peptides sold under "research use only" labelling
• The Poisons Standard (SUSMP), Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration, for Schedule 4 classifications
• WADA Prohibited List, section S2

A note on this list

All content here is general information only: not medical advice, not a dosing or usage recommendation, not a claim of efficacy. Many of the substances named are not approved as medicines or are prescription-only, and legality depends on the law of your country of residence. For health questions, consult a licensed physician or pharmacist.

Approval status changes: something investigational today could hold an approval next year, or lose one. The tables reflect the registers as read in mid-2026; last reviewed 4 September 2026.

And to be clear: we do not sell, source or ship any peptide. No vials, no vendor links.