The research, separated from the hype. 

Among the most studied peptides in modern medicine, with large randomized cardiovascular and weight-outcome programs (SUSTAIN, STEP, SELECT) and defined regulatory labeling.

A dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist with a large Phase 3 program (SURPASS, SURMOUNT) and approved labeling.

An investigational triple agonist showing large weight reductions in Phase 2; not approved.

An investigational amylin-receptor agonist studied alone and as a fixed combination (CagriSema); not approved.

An established daily GLP-1 agonist with a large trial base (LEAD, SCALE, LEADER).

Approved to reduce excess abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, supported by randomized trials.

Has a longer clinical history than most secretagogues, including diagnostic use in evaluating GH secretion; availability has varied.

FDA-approved (Vyleesi) for premenopausal HSDD, supported by randomized trials.

Studied in hepatitis, immune support, and as an adjuvant; approved in several countries, not FDA-approved.

Investigated as a physiologic trigger of GnRH and as a fertility/diagnostic tool; not an approved therapy.

Studied in older-adult and frailty contexts for sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation; not an approved drug, with metabolic considerations.

Studied almost entirely in animal models. No adequate, well-controlled human trials establish efficacy or safety; not approved anywhere, and flagged by FDA as not meeting compounding standards.

Most evidence is preclinical. Human clinical data are limited; not an approved therapeutic.

A ghrelin-receptor agonist with relatively selective GH release in early studies; development did not yield an approved product.

Early human studies measured GH/IGF-1 elevation; not approved for general use.

One of the original GHRPs; raises GH but also strongly stimulates appetite; not an approved therapy.

Used as a GH-stimulation diagnostic in some regions; studied as a secretagogue; not an FDA-approved therapy.

A potent secretagogue with additional cardiovascular receptor (CD36) interest in preclinical work; not approved.

Non-selective melanocortin agonist with notable adverse events; not an approved consumer product.

A growth-hormone fragment marketed for fat loss, but clinical obesity trials were largely unsuccessful; not approved as a therapy.

Appears endogenously and is widely studied in vitro for skin remodeling; topical cosmetic use is common, systemic therapeutic claims are not established by controlled trials.

Developed and used clinically in Russia for cognitive and cerebrovascular indications; not approved by FDA/EMA and lacking large Western trials.

Studied clinically in Russia for generalized anxiety; not FDA/EMA approved, with limited Western trial data.

A modified insulin-like growth factor with reduced binding-protein affinity and a longer half-life, used widely in cell culture; human therapeutic use is not approved.

A peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA, studied for effects on metabolism and insulin sensitivity, largely in cells and rodents.

A pan-ERR agonist showing endurance/metabolic effects in rodents; there is no human data.

The lipolytic C-terminal region of growth hormone; the related modified version (AOD-9604) failed pivotal human obesity trials.

A splice variant of IGF-1 implicated in muscle repair signaling; studied in cells and animals, not in adequate human trials.

An endogenous peptide associated with sleep modulation and stress responses; older human studies are mixed and it is not an approved therapy.

A short peptide associated with the Russian "bioregulator" program; longevity and telomerase claims rest mainly on small, often non-replicated, largely Russian-language studies of variable quality.

One of the Khavinson short "bioregulator" peptides (a family that also includes Cartalax, Vilon, Thymogen, Ovagen, Chonluten, Vesugen and others) marketed for tissue-specific effects. Evidence is sparse and largely from a single research tradition.

A well-characterized hormone approved for inducing/augmenting labor and controlling postpartum bleeding, and extensively researched for social and behavioral effects.

A naturally occurring host-defense peptide with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory roles, studied extensively in cells and disease associations; not a marketed therapeutic.

A peptide derived from erythropoietin that targets tissue protection without raising red-cell counts; studied in small-fiber neuropathy and sarcoidosis.

A potent procognitive compound in rodent models acting through hepatocyte growth factor signaling; no human data.

An oxyntomodulin-based dual agonist with Phase 3 programs; not yet broadly approved.

A serotonin–noradrenaline–dopamine reuptake inhibitor that produced notable weight loss in Phase 2 obesity trials; not approved (note: this is a small molecule, not a peptide).

The most clinically studied SARM, evaluated for muscle wasting and cancer cachexia in Phase 2 trials, but never approved.

A potent SARM studied preclinically (incl. breast-cancer models); human evidence is limited and includes published cases of drug-induced liver injury.

A SARM with a published Phase 1 safety/PK study and a hip-fracture-recovery program (as VK5211); not approved for general use.

A steroidal compound claimed to act as a SARM and to raise follistatin (a myostatin inhibitor) in cell studies; there is no meaningful human evidence.

One of the first SARMs studied preclinically; anecdotally and in early reports associated with a yellow-tinted vision side effect; not approved.

A potent SARM investigated for reversible male contraception in rodents; there is no human clinical evidence.

An endurance/lipid compound whose clinical development was discontinued after long-term rodent studies showed cancers across multiple organs; banned in sport.

A selective PPARδ agonist used as a laboratory tool compound; no human data, and it shares the PPARδ-class carcinogenicity concern.

A circadian-clock (REV-ERB) agonist with metabolic effects in mice, but very poor oral bioavailability and no human evidence.

A proline-containing dipeptide marketed as a cognitive enhancer; clinical evidence is mostly Russian and limited in scale/quality.

A more potent, stimulant-leaning racetam used clinically in Russia; banned in sport as a stimulant.

The prototypical nootropic, prescribed in parts of Europe/Asia for myoclonus and cognitive indications; not FDA-approved.

A small molecule studied for major depression on a neurogenesis hypothesis; Phase 2 results were mixed and it is not approved.

A synthetic curcumin derivative with neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s mouse models; no human data.

A bisfluoro analog in the adrafinil/modafinil family marketed for wakefulness; human clinical data are minimal.

A compound developed in Russia for fatigue/asthenia with combined mild stimulant and anxiolytic effects; evidence is largely Russian and limited.

A long-established medicine approved for methemoglobinemia, with broad research interest in mitochondrial function and cognition; low-dose vs high-dose effects differ markedly.

An anxiolytic/sleep aid prescribed in some countries; widely associated with tolerance, dependence, and a dangerous withdrawal syndrome, and with overdose risk when combined with other depressants.

A potent stimulant formerly sold in supplements; the FDA has acted to remove it from the market, and it is associated with hypertension, cardiac events, strokes, and deaths.

A small-molecule inhibitor of the enzyme NNMT studied preclinically for adipocyte metabolism and the NAD+/methylation axis. Evidence is limited to cell and rodent work; there are no human trials and it is not approved for human use.

The body's principal intracellular antioxidant — a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. Widely sold as a supplement and used off-label intravenously; evidence for systemic supplementation is mixed and it is not an approved therapeutic for most of those uses.

An essential coenzyme at the centre of cellular energy metabolism and a substrate for sirtuins and DNA-repair enzymes. Levels decline with age; NAD+ and its precursors (NMN, NR) are studied for metabolic and ageing endpoints, and IV NAD+ is used off-label. It is not an approved therapeutic.

A short C-terminal fragment of alpha-MSH studied largely in preclinical and in-vitro models for anti-inflammatory effects; human clinical evidence is limited and it is not an approved drug.

An investigational mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide that binds the inner-membrane lipid cardiolipin; it has progressed through multiple human trials but is not approved, and results across indications have been mixed.

A naturally occurring 28-amino-acid neuropeptide with well-characterized physiology (vasodilation, secretion, immune modulation); as a therapeutic it is largely experimental, with limited approved use and short biological half-life.

An obscure synthetic peptide derived from the protein spadin, studied almost entirely in preclinical models as a TREK-1 potassium-channel blocker with proposed antidepressant-like effects; human data are essentially absent.

A rationally designed peptide intended to selectively kill senescent cells by disrupting a FOXO4-p53 interaction; evidence is largely preclinical, and there are no approved human uses.

A short synthetic tripeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp) belonging to the Russian "peptide bioregulator" family; proposed mechanisms are largely theoretical and human clinical evidence is very limited.

A small-molecule mitochondrial protonophore (uncoupler) studied preclinically for obesity and metabolic disease; not a peptide and not approved for human use.

A synthetic analog of alpha-MSH that stimulates melanin production; its identical molecule, afamelanotide, is an approved drug in some regions for a rare photosensitivity disorder, while generic "Melanotan I" sold for tanning is unregulated.

A placental glycoprotein hormone that mimics luteinizing hormone, approved for ovulation induction, certain male hypogonadism, and historically cryptorchidism.

The trans-isomer of clomiphene, a SERM studied to raise endogenous testosterone by blocking estrogen feedback at the hypothalamus and pituitary; not FDA-approved as a standalone drug.

A long-acting phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor approved for erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

A short-acting beta-2 adrenergic agonist (salbutamol) approved as a bronchodilator for asthma and other obstructive airway disease.

A copper-binding tripeptide (Ala-His-Lys) studied mainly in cosmetic and preclinical settings, with limited human data.

A fat-soluble racetam nootropic studied for cognition and mood, marketed as a drug in some countries but unapproved in the US.

A water-soluble racetam nootropic studied for memory and attention, prescribed in some countries but not approved in the US.

A fat-soluble racetam nootropic studied for cognition and mood, investigated in trials but not an approved drug in the US.

A beta-carboline alkaloid studied in animal and cell models for dopaminergic and neuroprotective effects; evidence is limited and largely preclinical, with little or no human data.

A synthetic antioxidant developed and used clinically in Russia and some neighboring countries; outside that setting it is regarded as experimental, with limited rigorous international evidence.

An investigational small molecule described as a positive allosteric modulator of Trk (including TrkB) neurotrophin receptors, explored for cognitive and neurodegenerative indications; clinical evidence remains early.

An investigational adenosine A2A receptor antagonist studied in the context of Parkinson's disease; it is clinical-stage, but its therapeutic profile is not fully established.

An experimental small-molecule direct activator of AMPK studied mainly in preclinical models, with very limited early human data.

A naturally occurring, lipid-soluble cofactor essential to mitochondrial energy production that is widely sold as a dietary supplement, though clinical-benefit evidence is mixed and context-dependent.

A naturally occurring amino-acid derivative essential for transporting fatty acids into mitochondria for energy production, available as both a prescription drug for specific deficiencies and a widely used dietary supplement with mixed evidence for general performance claims.

A water-soluble essential vitamin required as a cofactor for DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and nerve myelination; deficiency causes well-defined hematologic and neurological disease.

A water-soluble essential vitamin and physiological antioxidant that serves as an electron-donating cofactor for collagen-synthesizing and other dioxygenase enzymes; severe deficiency causes scurvy.

An investigational orally administered, non-peptide small-molecule agonist of the GLP-1 receptor developed by Eli Lilly and studied in late-stage trials for type 2 diabetes and obesity; not yet approved at the time of writing.