A plain-language look at the science, mechanisms, and typical clinical protocols behind the peptides we offer most often. This page is educational — your actual dose, frequency, and treatment plan are always determined individually at your visit.
Peptide therapy is a fast-moving field. Some of the peptides below are FDA-approved medications; others are used under a provider's prescription through licensed compounding pharmacies, with human research still developing. We've noted the regulatory status of each so you know exactly what you're looking at. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to self-administer anything — it's background for the conversation you'll have with your provider.
Body Protection Compound-157 · Not FDA-approved · Under FDA review for the compounding bulks list as of 2026
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide modeled on a protective protein found in human gastric juice. It's the most studied peptide in the recovery and regenerative space, and it's usually the first peptide someone tries when they're exploring this kind of therapy.
Animal studies show consistent support for tendon, ligament, muscle, and gut lining repair, largely through improved blood vessel formation and reduced inflammation at the injury site. Human clinical trial data is still limited, so most of what's known comes from lab and animal research rather than large-scale human trials.
Reported protocols in the literature commonly run once- or twice-daily subcutaneous dosing for four to eight weeks, often followed by a rest period before any additional course. Injection is sometimes given near the site of injury. Actual dosing, frequency, and cycle length are set individually based on the specific injury and your health history — this is a starting point for discussion, not a prescription.
Growth hormone secretagogues · Available through licensed compounding pharmacies by prescription
These two peptides are typically prescribed together because they stimulate the body's own growth hormone release through two different pathways at the same time. CJC-1295 mimics the signal your brain normally sends to your pituitary gland; Ipamorelin mimics a separate hunger-hormone pathway that triggers its own pulse of growth hormone. Used together, the two signals reinforce each other rather than competing.
Human studies on CJC-1295 have shown sustained, dose-dependent increases in growth hormone and IGF-1 over several weeks. Ipamorelin is selective for the growth hormone pathway without the cortisol and appetite spikes seen in older-generation compounds, which is why it's become the standard pairing. Most human research is still short-term and in specific populations, so results in a general wellness setting are reasonably well-supported but not as extensively proven as an FDA-approved drug.
Commonly prescribed as a single combined subcutaneous injection or as two injections taken together, typically once daily, often in the evening to work with the body's natural overnight growth hormone pulse. Course length and dosing are set individually and reassessed with follow-up labs.
GLP-1 & dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists · FDA-approved medications
Semaglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor, a hormone pathway involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation. Tirzepatide goes a step further, activating both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors together, which is the main reason it tends to outperform semaglutide on average.
Both medications have large, well-controlled clinical trial data behind them, which sets them apart from most other peptides on this page. A head-to-head trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found tirzepatide produced significantly greater average weight loss than semaglutide over 72 weeks. Semaglutide, for its part, has the more mature evidence base for cardiovascular risk reduction.
Both are dosed as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, starting at a low dose and gradually increasing over weeks to months to reduce nausea and other GI side effects. Your provider titrates your dose based on tolerance and response, alongside nutrition and lifestyle support.
Melanocortin receptor agonist · FDA-approved for HSDD in premenopausal women; used off-label in other cases under a provider's care
PT-141 works differently from most sexual health treatments — instead of affecting blood flow like a PDE5 inhibitor, it acts on melanocortin receptors in the brain to influence desire and arousal directly at the central nervous system level.
The FDA approved bremelanotide (brand name Vyleesi) in 2019 for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, based on two large Phase 3 trials in over 1,200 women showing meaningful improvement in desire and related distress. It's also used off-label for men and for other patient groups under a provider's judgment, where the evidence base is thinner but still growing.
Administered as an as-needed subcutaneous injection roughly 45 minutes before anticipated activity, rather than on a daily schedule. Your provider will confirm whether this fits your specific situation before prescribing.
Synthetic peptide fragment · Not FDA-approved · Available through licensed compounding pharmacies by prescription
TB-500 is modeled on a piece of thymosin beta-4, a protein found throughout the body that plays a role in how cells move and organize during healing. It's often discussed alongside BPC-157, but works through a different mechanism — TB-500 affects cell migration and structural repair, rather than the blood-vessel growth pathway BPC-157 is known for.
Most published evidence comes from animal and cell-culture studies showing faster wound closure, improved corneal healing, and reduced scarring. A small amount of early human research has looked at diabetic foot ulcers and dry eye. Larger controlled human trials are still limited, so this is an area with promising early signals rather than settled clinical proof.
Reported protocols commonly describe a four-to-eight-week course tied to the healing timeline of a specific injury, then stopping — continuous long-term use hasn't been studied. Often discussed alongside BPC-157 as a combined recovery approach for musculoskeletal injuries.
Every peptide plan starts with a conversation about your health history and what you're actually trying to achieve.