Copper Peptide

Alanine-histidine-lysine copper complex

AHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (AHK), mostly marketed by peptide suppliers as Copper Tripeptide-3; no CosIng entry of that name exists, and the registered INCI name Tripeptide-3 designates a different peptide (composed of glycine, serine and valine). It belongs to the same substance class as the far more extensively studied GHK-Cu, but is documented much more thinly in the scientific literature: the primary literature indexed on PubMed essentially amounts to a single ex vivo and cell culture study on human hair follicles (Pyo et al., 2007). In research, AHK-Cu therefore appears almost exclusively in the context of hair follicle and scalp research and in cosmetic formulations.

Tissue Repair

PL 14736 · PL-10 · Bepecin

BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide of 15 amino acids (CAS 137525-51-0, C62H98N16O22, approximately 1,420 g/mol) whose sequence is derived from a partial sequence of a protein described in human gastric juice (body protection compound). In the literature it appears almost exclusively in preclinical work on tissue repair, tendon and muscle healing, and gastrointestinal mucosal integrity. It is a research substance with no medicinal-product approval in any jurisdiction.

Amylin Analogue

AM833

Cagrilintide (AM833) is a synthetic, lipidated analogue of the pancreatic hormone amylin, developed at Novo Nordisk as a long-acting candidate for research on body-weight regulation. The substance acts as a non-selective agonist at amylin receptors and the calcitonin receptor and has been studied both alone and in combination with semaglutide (CagriSema) in clinical trials up to and including phase 3. As of the editorial date, no marketing authorization exists for either the substance alone or the combination.

GHRH Analog

CJC-1295 (no DAC) is a synthetic analog of the biologically active N-terminal fragment of human growth hormone-releasing hormone, GRF(1-29), carrying four amino acid substitutions and a length of 29 amino acids. The same structure appears in the literature as modified GRF(1-29); the qualifier no DAC distinguishes it from the drug-affinity-complex variant, which binds covalently to serum albumin via a linker. The substance is studied in the context of GHRH receptor signaling and the growth hormone axis.

Longevity

Epitalon · AEDG-Peptid · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly

Epithalon, also written Epitalon or AEDG, is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. It was developed by the research group around V. Kh. Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as a synthetic counterpart to Epithalamin, a peptide preparation obtained from pineal gland tissue. In the literature it appears in ageing research, primarily on telomere length and telomerase activity in cell culture and on life span and tumour development in rodent models.

Copper Peptide

Copper tripeptide-1 · Cu-GHK · Prezatide copper acetate

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK), a tripeptide first described in human serum in 1973. In research it appears primarily in studies on skin regeneration, wound remodeling and extracellular matrix synthesis, mostly in cell culture and animal models.

GHRP

NNC 26-0161

Ipamorelin (NNC 26-0161) is a synthetic pentapeptide of the growth hormone secretagogue class, developed at Novo Nordisk in the 1990s. It acts as an agonist at the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) and was characterized in its original description as the first secretagogue with GHRH-like selectivity for growth hormone release. A later clinical program in postoperative ileus comprised two controlled phase 2 trials; development was not continued after their completion, and the results of the larger trial were never published. Today the substance appears mainly in research on the pharmacology of the growth hormone axis.

Immune / Barrier

Lys-Pro-Val · α-MSH(11-13)

KPV (Lys-Pro-Val) is the C-terminal tripeptide of the endogenous hormone α-MSH, corresponding to its amino acid positions 11 to 13. The literature describes it as an anti-inflammatory fragment intended to retain the anti-inflammatory properties of α-MSH without its pigmenting activity. To date, KPV has been studied primarily in cell culture and in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease; no completed human studies exist.

Melanocortin

MT-I · MT-1 · Afamelanotide

Melanotan I is a synthetic linear tridecapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH in which two amino acids are substituted ([Nle4,D-Phe7]-α-MSH). It was developed at the University of Arizona as an investigational pigmentation agent and was later approved under the INN afamelanotide as a subcutaneous implant (brand name Scenesse) for the prevention of phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). In research it appears in the context of pigmentation, photoprotection and the pharmacology of the melanocortin-1 receptor.

Melanocortin

MT-II · MT-2 · MTII

Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH that acts as a non-selective agonist at melanocortin receptors. It was developed in the 1990s as an investigational pigmentation agent and was later studied in early-phase trials on erectile function before development was discontinued. Today it appears in research on melanocortin receptor pharmacology, pigmentation and sexual function.

Mitochondrial

MOTS-c (Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide that is encoded not in the cell nucleus but in an alternative reading frame of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, placing it in the group of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDP). It was first described in 2015 by Lee et al. in Cell Metabolism. In research it appears in the context of energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, exercise physiology and age-related metabolic change; it holds no approval from any medicines authority.

Longevity / Cofactor

beta-NAD+ · Coenzyme I · DPN

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, CAS 53-84-9) is an endogenous dinucleotide coenzyme and not a peptide. It serves as the central redox cofactor of energy metabolism and, at the same time, as a consumed substrate for NAD+-dependent signalling enzymes such as sirtuins, PARPs and CD38. In research it appears mainly in work on ageing metabolism, mitochondrial function and neurodegeneration, with the bulk of human data covering precursor molecules such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) rather than NAD+ itself.

Bremelanotide

Bremelanotide

PT-141 (bremelanotide) is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH that acts as an agonist at melanocortin receptors. It emerged from the melanocortin research program around Melanotan II and is the only peptide from this program to have been approved as an injectable; Melanotan I (afamelanotide) reached approval as an implant. On June 21, 2019, the FDA granted marketing authorization (NDA 210557) under the brand name Vyleesi for the treatment of acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. In research, the substance appears mainly in the context of melanocortin receptor pharmacology and the central nervous regulation of sexual function.

GLP-1/GIP/GCG

LY3437943 · LY-3437943

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is a synthetic, fatty-acid-modified polypeptide (CAS 2381089-83-2, C₂₂₁H₃₄₂N₄₆O₆₈, approx. 4,731 g/mol) that acts as a single-molecule agonist of the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. The compound was developed by Eli Lilly and appears in metabolic research on obesity and type 2 diabetes. Phase 2 trials have been published and phase 3 trials are ongoing; the substance is not an approved medicine.

Cognitive

MEHFPGP · ACTH(4-7)PGP · Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro

Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from the ACTH(4-7) fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone and extended at the C-terminus by the tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro. It appears in research on cognition, neuroprotection and recovery after cerebral ischemia, largely in rodent models and in clinical work published in Russia. Semax is registered as a medicinal product in Russia but holds no marketing authorisation from the EMA or the FDA; outside that regional context it is handled as a research substance.

Elamipretide

Elamipretide · MTP-131 · Bendavia

SS-31, also known as elamipretide, MTP-131 or Bendavia, is a synthetic aromatic-cationic tetrapeptide from the Szeto-Schiller peptide family that concentrates at the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it binds the phospholipid cardiolipin. It appears in research on mitochondrial bioenergetics, primary mitochondrial diseases and aging processes. In September 2025, the FDA granted accelerated approval to the pharmaceutical product FORZINITY (elamipretide hydrochloride) to improve muscle strength in adult and pediatric patients with Barth syndrome weighing at least 30 kg, making elamipretide the first disease-specific treatment approved for Barth syndrome.

Thymosin Beta-4

Thymosin Beta-4 fragment · TB4 · Tβ4

TB-500 is a synthetic peptide based on thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4), a naturally occurring 43-amino-acid actin-binding peptide; in the analytical literature the name also denotes a synthetic fragment spanning the actin-binding region of Tβ4. It appears in research on tissue regeneration, wound healing and cardiac repair, almost exclusively in cell-culture and animal models. TB-500 is a research chemical without approval by any medicines authority.

GHRH Analog

TH9507 · Egrifta · Egrifta SV

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), consisting of the full GHRH(1-44) sequence with a trans-3-hexenoyl modification at the N-terminus (44 amino acids). It is studied primarily in the context of the growth hormone axis and the distribution of visceral adipose tissue. In the United States, the substance is approved under the brand name Egrifta for a narrowly defined indication in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.

Thymic Peptide

Thymosin alpha-1 is an N-terminally acetylated peptide of 28 amino acids that arises naturally by proteolytic cleavage from prothymosin alpha and was originally isolated from thymic tissue. The synthetic form carries the INN thymalfasin and appears in immunomodulation research, including in the context of chronic viral hepatitis, sepsis and as a vaccine adjuvant.

GLP-1/GIP

LY3298176 · Mounjaro · Zepbound

Tirzepatide (LY3298176) is a synthetic 39-amino-acid peptide structurally derived from native GIP and carrying a C20 fatty diacid side chain. It acts as a dual agonist at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors and appears in metabolic research, primarily on glucose metabolism and body-weight regulation. The active substance is approved as a medicinal product under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Neuropeptide Research

Vasoactive intestinal peptide · Aviptadil

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an endogenous 28-amino-acid neuropeptide that signals through the G protein-coupled receptors VPAC1 and VPAC2. As a pharmaceutical active substance, synthetic VIP carries the international nonproprietary name aviptadil; in a fixed combination with the alpha-adrenoceptor blocker phentolamine, the product Invicorp was authorized in the United Kingdom in October 2000. VIP as a single substance, by contrast, holds no marketing authorization. In research, the substance appears mainly in the pharmacology of the VPAC receptors, with its exceptionally short residence time in plasma shaping every systemic investigation.

Copper Peptide

Alanine-histidine-lysine copper complex

AHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (AHK), mostly marketed by peptide suppliers as Copper Tripeptide-3; no CosIng entry of that name exists, and the registered INCI name Tripeptide-3 designates a different peptide (composed of glycine, serine and valine). It belongs to the same substance class as the far more extensively studied GHK-Cu, but is documented much more thinly in the scientific literature: the primary literature indexed on PubMed essentially amounts to a single ex vivo and cell culture study on human hair follicles (Pyo et al., 2007). In research, AHK-Cu therefore appears almost exclusively in the context of hair follicle and scalp research and in cosmetic formulations.

Tissue Repair

PL 14736 · PL-10 · Bepecin

BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide of 15 amino acids (CAS 137525-51-0, C62H98N16O22, approximately 1,420 g/mol) whose sequence is derived from a partial sequence of a protein described in human gastric juice (body protection compound). In the literature it appears almost exclusively in preclinical work on tissue repair, tendon and muscle healing, and gastrointestinal mucosal integrity. It is a research substance with no medicinal-product approval in any jurisdiction.

Amylin Analogue

AM833

Cagrilintide (AM833) is a synthetic, lipidated analogue of the pancreatic hormone amylin, developed at Novo Nordisk as a long-acting candidate for research on body-weight regulation. The substance acts as a non-selective agonist at amylin receptors and the calcitonin receptor and has been studied both alone and in combination with semaglutide (CagriSema) in clinical trials up to and including phase 3. As of the editorial date, no marketing authorization exists for either the substance alone or the combination.

GHRH Analog

CJC-1295 (no DAC) is a synthetic analog of the biologically active N-terminal fragment of human growth hormone-releasing hormone, GRF(1-29), carrying four amino acid substitutions and a length of 29 amino acids. The same structure appears in the literature as modified GRF(1-29); the qualifier no DAC distinguishes it from the drug-affinity-complex variant, which binds covalently to serum albumin via a linker. The substance is studied in the context of GHRH receptor signaling and the growth hormone axis.

Longevity

Epitalon · AEDG-Peptid · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly

Epithalon, also written Epitalon or AEDG, is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. It was developed by the research group around V. Kh. Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as a synthetic counterpart to Epithalamin, a peptide preparation obtained from pineal gland tissue. In the literature it appears in ageing research, primarily on telomere length and telomerase activity in cell culture and on life span and tumour development in rodent models.

Copper Peptide

Copper tripeptide-1 · Cu-GHK · Prezatide copper acetate

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (GHK), a tripeptide first described in human serum in 1973. In research it appears primarily in studies on skin regeneration, wound remodeling and extracellular matrix synthesis, mostly in cell culture and animal models.

GHRP

NNC 26-0161

Ipamorelin (NNC 26-0161) is a synthetic pentapeptide of the growth hormone secretagogue class, developed at Novo Nordisk in the 1990s. It acts as an agonist at the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) and was characterized in its original description as the first secretagogue with GHRH-like selectivity for growth hormone release. A later clinical program in postoperative ileus comprised two controlled phase 2 trials; development was not continued after their completion, and the results of the larger trial were never published. Today the substance appears mainly in research on the pharmacology of the growth hormone axis.

Immune / Barrier

Lys-Pro-Val · α-MSH(11-13)

KPV (Lys-Pro-Val) is the C-terminal tripeptide of the endogenous hormone α-MSH, corresponding to its amino acid positions 11 to 13. The literature describes it as an anti-inflammatory fragment intended to retain the anti-inflammatory properties of α-MSH without its pigmenting activity. To date, KPV has been studied primarily in cell culture and in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease; no completed human studies exist.

Melanocortin

MT-I · MT-1 · Afamelanotide

Melanotan I is a synthetic linear tridecapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH in which two amino acids are substituted ([Nle4,D-Phe7]-α-MSH). It was developed at the University of Arizona as an investigational pigmentation agent and was later approved under the INN afamelanotide as a subcutaneous implant (brand name Scenesse) for the prevention of phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). In research it appears in the context of pigmentation, photoprotection and the pharmacology of the melanocortin-1 receptor.

Melanocortin

MT-II · MT-2 · MTII

Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH that acts as a non-selective agonist at melanocortin receptors. It was developed in the 1990s as an investigational pigmentation agent and was later studied in early-phase trials on erectile function before development was discontinued. Today it appears in research on melanocortin receptor pharmacology, pigmentation and sexual function.

Mitochondrial

MOTS-c (Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide that is encoded not in the cell nucleus but in an alternative reading frame of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, placing it in the group of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDP). It was first described in 2015 by Lee et al. in Cell Metabolism. In research it appears in the context of energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, exercise physiology and age-related metabolic change; it holds no approval from any medicines authority.

Longevity / Cofactor

beta-NAD+ · Coenzyme I · DPN

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, CAS 53-84-9) is an endogenous dinucleotide coenzyme and not a peptide. It serves as the central redox cofactor of energy metabolism and, at the same time, as a consumed substrate for NAD+-dependent signalling enzymes such as sirtuins, PARPs and CD38. In research it appears mainly in work on ageing metabolism, mitochondrial function and neurodegeneration, with the bulk of human data covering precursor molecules such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) rather than NAD+ itself.

Bremelanotide

Bremelanotide

PT-141 (bremelanotide) is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide and an analog of the endogenous hormone α-MSH that acts as an agonist at melanocortin receptors. It emerged from the melanocortin research program around Melanotan II and is the only peptide from this program to have been approved as an injectable; Melanotan I (afamelanotide) reached approval as an implant. On June 21, 2019, the FDA granted marketing authorization (NDA 210557) under the brand name Vyleesi for the treatment of acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. In research, the substance appears mainly in the context of melanocortin receptor pharmacology and the central nervous regulation of sexual function.

GLP-1/GIP/GCG

LY3437943 · LY-3437943

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is a synthetic, fatty-acid-modified polypeptide (CAS 2381089-83-2, C₂₂₁H₃₄₂N₄₆O₆₈, approx. 4,731 g/mol) that acts as a single-molecule agonist of the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. The compound was developed by Eli Lilly and appears in metabolic research on obesity and type 2 diabetes. Phase 2 trials have been published and phase 3 trials are ongoing; the substance is not an approved medicine.

Cognitive

MEHFPGP · ACTH(4-7)PGP · Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro

Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from the ACTH(4-7) fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone and extended at the C-terminus by the tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro. It appears in research on cognition, neuroprotection and recovery after cerebral ischemia, largely in rodent models and in clinical work published in Russia. Semax is registered as a medicinal product in Russia but holds no marketing authorisation from the EMA or the FDA; outside that regional context it is handled as a research substance.

Elamipretide

Elamipretide · MTP-131 · Bendavia

SS-31, also known as elamipretide, MTP-131 or Bendavia, is a synthetic aromatic-cationic tetrapeptide from the Szeto-Schiller peptide family that concentrates at the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it binds the phospholipid cardiolipin. It appears in research on mitochondrial bioenergetics, primary mitochondrial diseases and aging processes. In September 2025, the FDA granted accelerated approval to the pharmaceutical product FORZINITY (elamipretide hydrochloride) to improve muscle strength in adult and pediatric patients with Barth syndrome weighing at least 30 kg, making elamipretide the first disease-specific treatment approved for Barth syndrome.

Thymosin Beta-4

Thymosin Beta-4 fragment · TB4 · Tβ4

TB-500 is a synthetic peptide based on thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4), a naturally occurring 43-amino-acid actin-binding peptide; in the analytical literature the name also denotes a synthetic fragment spanning the actin-binding region of Tβ4. It appears in research on tissue regeneration, wound healing and cardiac repair, almost exclusively in cell-culture and animal models. TB-500 is a research chemical without approval by any medicines authority.

GHRH Analog

TH9507 · Egrifta · Egrifta SV

Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), consisting of the full GHRH(1-44) sequence with a trans-3-hexenoyl modification at the N-terminus (44 amino acids). It is studied primarily in the context of the growth hormone axis and the distribution of visceral adipose tissue. In the United States, the substance is approved under the brand name Egrifta for a narrowly defined indication in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.

Thymic Peptide

Thymosin alpha-1 is an N-terminally acetylated peptide of 28 amino acids that arises naturally by proteolytic cleavage from prothymosin alpha and was originally isolated from thymic tissue. The synthetic form carries the INN thymalfasin and appears in immunomodulation research, including in the context of chronic viral hepatitis, sepsis and as a vaccine adjuvant.

GLP-1/GIP

LY3298176 · Mounjaro · Zepbound

Tirzepatide (LY3298176) is a synthetic 39-amino-acid peptide structurally derived from native GIP and carrying a C20 fatty diacid side chain. It acts as a dual agonist at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors and appears in metabolic research, primarily on glucose metabolism and body-weight regulation. The active substance is approved as a medicinal product under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Neuropeptide Research

Vasoactive intestinal peptide · Aviptadil

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an endogenous 28-amino-acid neuropeptide that signals through the G protein-coupled receptors VPAC1 and VPAC2. As a pharmaceutical active substance, synthetic VIP carries the international nonproprietary name aviptadil; in a fixed combination with the alpha-adrenoceptor blocker phentolamine, the product Invicorp was authorized in the United Kingdom in October 2000. VIP as a single substance, by contrast, holds no marketing authorization. In research, the substance appears mainly in the pharmacology of the VPAC receptors, with its exceptionally short residence time in plasma shaping every systemic investigation.