Grades cover claim-specific human evidence only: A direct; C surrogate; D uncontrolled; F absent or failed. They do not rate safety or legality.
6 peptides
| Peptide | Claim | Best human evidence | What was measured | Result | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | Speeds injury healing and recovery | 2026 retrospective clinical-note preprint: 1,039 documented users | Documented response direction in 354 users | 279 improved, 58 no change, 17 worse; 685 unknown | D |
| TB-500 | Repairs muscle, tendon, and other injuries | No direct human trial of the marketed fragment identified by FDA | Molecular identity and whether human exposure data exist | 7-amino-acid fragment, not the 43-amino-acid full-length peptide | F |
| CJC-1295 DAC | Builds muscle, strength, and recovery through GH | Randomized, double-blind healthy-adult pharmacology trials | GH, IGF-I, and pharmacokinetics | Hormones rose; muscle, strength, and recovery not measured | C |
| Ipamorelin | Builds muscle and improves recovery through GH | Healthy-volunteer pharmacology study in 40 men | Ipamorelin concentrations and GH | Single GH pulse; muscle, strength, and recovery not measured | C |
| AOD-9604 | Produces meaningful weight loss | 24-week randomized OPTIONS trial: 502 randomized | Weight loss; main efficacy endpoint at 12 weeks | No significant difference on the primary weight-loss endpoint | F |
| Tesamorelin | Reduces visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy | 404-person randomized placebo-controlled trial | Visceral adipose tissue in the specific HIV-related population | About 11% vs <1% reduction at six months (-10.9% vs -0.6%) | A — narrow claim |
Retrospective clinical-note preprint · 2026
CLAIM
Speeds injury healing and recovery
HUMAN STUDY
1,039 documented users in a retrospective clinical-note preprint
WHAT IT MEASURED
Whether the notes contained an improved, unchanged, or worse direction
RESULT
354 known: 279 improved, 58 no change, 17 worse; 685 unknown
EVIDENCE GRADE
D
The notes recorded improvement for 279 of the 354 users whose response direction was ascertainable.
685 of 1,039 outcomes were unknown, the study was uncontrolled and retrospective, and common co-treatment prevents attribution to BPC-157.
Uncontrolled human observations
FDA evidence review + molecular-identity paper
CLAIM
Repairs muscle, tendon, and other injuries
HUMAN STUDY
FDA identified no clinical study or human exposure data for TB-500 itself
WHAT IT MEASURED
The available record establishes molecular identity, not human injury recovery
RESULT
TB-500 is a 7-amino-acid fragment; full-length thymosin beta-4 has 43 amino acids
EVIDENCE GRADE
F
The direct record establishes that marketed TB-500 is the seven-amino-acid fragment Ac-LKKTETQ.
Human studies of full-length 43-amino-acid thymosin beta-4 do not test the marketed TB-500 fragment.
No direct human evidence for the marketed fragment
Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind healthy-adult trials
CLAIM
Builds muscle, strength, and recovery through GH
HUMAN STUDY
Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in healthy adults
WHAT IT MEASURED
Growth hormone, IGF-I, and pharmacokinetics
RESULT
GH and IGF-I rose; muscle, strength, and recovery were not measured
EVIDENCE GRADE
C
CJC-1295 DAC produced sustained, dose-dependent increases in GH and IGF-I in healthy adults.
The advertised fitness outcomes—muscle, strength, performance, and recovery—were not measured.
Human surrogate evidence
Healthy-volunteer pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study
CLAIM
Builds muscle and improves recovery through GH
HUMAN STUDY
Dose-escalation pharmacology study in 40 healthy men
WHAT IT MEASURED
Ipamorelin concentrations and growth hormone
RESULT
A single GH pulse peaked at about 0.67 hours; fitness outcomes were not measured
EVIDENCE GRADE
C
Ipamorelin produced a measurable, transient GH response in healthy volunteers.
The study did not test muscle gain, strength, body composition, training performance, or recovery.
Human surrogate evidence
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled obesity trial
CLAIM
Produces meaningful weight loss
HUMAN STUDY
24-week OPTIONS trial; 536 enrolled and 502 randomized
WHAT IT MEASURED
Weight loss, with the main efficacy endpoint assessed at 12 weeks
RESULT
No significant difference on the primary weight-loss endpoint
EVIDENCE GRADE
F
The largest direct trial tested weight loss in adults with obesity and did not show a significant advantage on the main endpoint.
The pivotal efficacy record is summarized in FDA’s review rather than a full peer-reviewed publication of the trial.
Main direct trial missed its endpoint
Randomized placebo-controlled trial in HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation
CLAIM
Reduces visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy
HUMAN STUDY
404-person randomized placebo-controlled trial
WHAT IT MEASURED
Visceral adipose tissue in HIV-infected adults with excess abdominal fat
RESULT
About 11% vs <1% reduction at six months (-10.9% vs -0.6%)
EVIDENCE GRADE
A — for this narrow claim and population
The randomized trial directly measured visceral adipose tissue and found about an 11% reduction with tesamorelin versus less than 1% with placebo at six months.
The evidence is population-specific and does not establish general weight loss or equivalent results in healthy fitness users.
Direct evidence for a narrow population and claim
Medical disclaimer: This page is for education and source verification. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to use any peptide. Discuss treatment decisions with a licensed clinician.
