Ranked by: strength of human evidence — grade A first, D last. Never by commission.
A stabilized analog of the full 44-amino-acid human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), FDA-approved to reduce excess visceral abdominal fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is also prescribed off-label for general fat loss and anti-aging purposes, a use with a much thinner evidence base than the approved indication.
A 29-amino-acid fragment of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that stimulates the pituitary to make and release its own growth hormone, rather than supplying GH directly. It was an FDA-approved drug for two decades under the brand name Geref; that product was discontinued for commercial reasons in 2008, and today's supply is almost entirely compounded.
A melanocortin-receptor agonist peptide. As the branded drug Vyleesi, a subcutaneous autoinjector, it is FDA-approved for acquired generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. Sold separately online as unbranded "PT-141" — often as a nasal spray or vial, and often marketed to men — in a form and use that is not approved.
A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide present in human plasma that declines with age, sold as a cosmetic ingredient in skincare serums and creams under names like 'copper peptide.'
A synthetic fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) with the corticotropic activity removed, developed in Russia and sold there as a prescription nasal spray for stroke recovery and cognitive complaints, and sold online elsewhere as an unregulated nootropic.
A synthetic peptide related to the immune peptide tuftsin, developed in Russia and approved there as a prescription anxiolytic nasal spray, sold elsewhere online as an unregulated anti-anxiety and cognitive research chemical.
A naturally occurring nine-amino-acid peptide first isolated from rabbit brain in the 1970s and studied in small human trials since the 1980s for sleep and hormonal effects, sold online today as an unregulated sleep-support research peptide.
A synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of a human gastric protein, sold online for injury recovery and gut healing.
A synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), engineered to resist the rapid breakdown that limits natural GHRH and sermorelin. It is not an FDA-approved drug and is sold online as a research chemical, not for human use. Two distinct products share this name and must not be confused with each other: a long-acting version bound to a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC), and a short-acting version without it.
A synthetic five-amino-acid peptide that activates the ghrelin receptor to trigger growth hormone release, often sold combined with CJC-1295 as a 'GH-boosting stack.' It is not an FDA-approved drug and is sold as a research chemical, not for human use.
A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide designed to mimic Epithalamin, a peptide complex extracted from the pineal gland, studied by Russian researchers for telomerase activation and lifespan effects and sold online as an anti-aging injectable, with no approval for human use anywhere.
A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA that acts as a hormone-like signal for metabolism and stress response, an active area of current metabolic research sold online as an injectable 'exercise mimetic' peptide with no completed human dosing trial behind it.
A synthetic version of a naturally occurring 43-amino-acid protein, sold online as an injectable "research chemical" marketed for tendon, ligament and muscle injury recovery, often alongside BPC-157.
A synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, injected to darken skin without sun exposure. Sold online and through gray-market tanning and wellness sources for tanning and, off-label, for libido and erectile function.
A modified fragment of the C-terminal end of human growth hormone, engineered to isolate growth hormone's fat-metabolising effect without its growth-promoting or blood-sugar effects. Sold online as an injectable peptide marketed for fat loss.
BPC-157, TB-500, MOTS-c, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, sermorelin, tesamorelin — ranked on human trials for energy and recovery. Most have none. Here is what actually exists.
Read the guide →Longevity peptides ranked on safety and human evidence together: tesamorelin, PT-141, sermorelin, GHK-Cu, semax and selank, DSIP, then the unregulated injectables — BPC-157, TB-500, MOTS-c, CJC-1295/ipamorelin, epitalon, AOD-9604, melanotan II — with the regulatory status of each.
Read the guide →Longevity peptides ranked on their anti-ageing and cellular-repair claims: what each is supposed to repair, what the human evidence shows, and why GHK-Cu on skin outranks every injectable — tesamorelin, BPC-157, TB-500, epitalon, MOTS-c, thymosin alpha-1 and more.
Read the guide →Which longevity peptides have any evidence for extending lifespan, ranked honestly: none in humans; the animal data behind epitalon, MOTS-c, SS-31, humanin and the GH-axis peptides; and why the best-evidenced lifespan interventions are not peptides.
Read the guide →Longevity peptides for beginners, ranked on what a first peptide should be — lawful, prescribed, human-studied, low-risk: topical GHK-Cu, then approved peptides via a prescriber, then the grey-market injectables that beginners are usually sold first and should try last, if at all.
Read the guide →Doctor-recommended longevity peptides ranked by what the recommendation rests on: guideline-backed prescribing (tesamorelin, bremelanotide), evidence-informed off-label use (sermorelin), and the clinic-menu peptides — BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295/ipamorelin — that are recommended commercially and cannot be lawfully compounded.
Read the guide →Peptides for skin and wrinkles ranked on human evidence: GHK-Cu, palmitoyl pentapeptide (Matrixyl), acetyl hexapeptide (Argireline), palmitoyl tripeptide and carnosine — against the retinoids and sunscreen that outrank all of them, and the injectables (GHK-Cu, epitalon) with no skin trial by that route.
Read the guide →Longevity peptides ranked by the human trials that actually exist: tesamorelin (Phase 3), bremelanotide (Phase 3), SS-31 (Phase 2/3 in rare disease), thymosin alpha-1, GHK-Cu (small skin trials), sermorelin, DSIP — and the peptides with no completed human trial at all.
Read the guide →A pharmacist's method for choosing longevity peptides safely, with the seven questions ranked by how much of the market each eliminates: indication, lawful route, human evidence, route of administration, sourcing, monitoring, interactions — and which peptides survive.
Read the guide →The longevity peptide stacks sold online — 'healing', 'anti-ageing GH', 'mitochondrial', 'cognitive', 'full longevity' — ranked on evidence, interaction risk and lawful sourcing, against the evidence-based stack that contains at most one peptide.
Read the guide →Peptides and adjacent therapies marketed for lifespan extension ranked on human evidence: GLP-1 agonist peptides with outcome trials, growth-hormone-releasing peptides, BPC-157 and other repair peptides, NAD+ infusion therapy, and 'longevity peptide stacks' — with what is actually proven versus what is commonly used.
Read the guide →Longevity clinics prescribe peptides ranging from FDA-approved drugs to compounds with no human trials. Which is which, what supervision adds, and the risks.
Read the guide →One evidence-graded email a week: what is new in longevity research, what is hype, and the one change actually worth making.
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