Research area
Compounds investigated for their effects on insulin signalling, appetite regulation, gastric emptying and body weight. This is the most clinically mature area of peptide research: it contains several approved drugs alongside investigational compounds.
This is a field of scientific investigation, not a category of treatment. A compound listed here has been studied in this context; that is not a claim that it treats any condition. See how we grade the evidence.
5 compounds
Also known as Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c, Mitochondrial-derived peptide
Mitochondrial Research • Metabolic Research • Longevity Research
A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome. Striking metabolic effects in mice; no published controlled human trials.
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Also known as LY3437943, Triple hormone receptor agonist, GGG tri-agonist
Metabolic Research
An investigational triple agonist at the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Phase 3 results report the largest mean weight reductions yet published for a pharmacological agent — and it is not approved.
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Also known as Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus
Metabolic Research
A long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and one of the most extensively trialled peptide drugs ever developed, with approvals spanning diabetes, weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction and liver disease.
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Also known as Egrifta, Egrifta SV, Egrifta WR
Growth Hormone & Endocrine Research • Metabolic Research
The only GHRH-class analog with FDA approval. Approved narrowly — for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy — and explicitly not indicated for weight loss.
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Also known as Mounjaro, Zepbound, LY3298176
Metabolic Research
A dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. The first drug approved for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity, and the compound that established that multi-receptor agonism outperforms GLP-1 alone.
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Peptide Science
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. What separates a peptide from a protein, why the body uses them as signals, and why that makes them both useful drugs and difficult ones.
News
Sponsor-reported Phase 3 results put retatrutide's mean weight reduction above any published figure for a drug. Here is what was measured, what was not, and what still has to happen.
Regulation
The phrase appears on nearly every research peptide sold online. It is a statement by the seller about intended use — not a regulatory designation, and not a safety assessment.
Peptide Science
Half-life is the single number that decides whether a peptide can be a once-weekly medicine or nothing at all. How it is measured, how it is engineered, and how it is misused in marketing.