Peptides by goal
This page maps all 630 entries in the encyclopedia by the area each peptide is studied in, so you can find the ones relevant to a goal and read the evidence for yourself. It is a map, not a recommendation: being listed under a goal does not mean a peptide works for it, is safe, or is approved. Most of these are investigational or sold for research only. The evidence grade and regulatory status beside each one are where to start, not a verdict, and nothing here is medical advice. No dose is shown and no seller is named.
Within each goal, the peptides with the strongest standing come first: approved medicines, then those with higher-grade human evidence. Open any entry for the studies, sources and dosing detail.
- Weight loss and metabolism
- Healing, injury and recovery
- Skin and hair
- Focus, mood and the brain
- Growth hormone and body composition
- Heart and circulation
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Longevity and cell health
- Immune defence and infection
- Diagnostic and research tools
- In development
Weight loss and metabolism 87
Peptides studied for body weight, appetite, blood sugar and fatty liver. This is where the GLP-1 medicines sit.
Related hub: the GLP-1 hub.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dulaglutide | A once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist built on an antibody fragment (Trulicity), approved since 2014 for type 2 diabetes in adults and children 10 and older. In REWIND it cut major cardiovascular events by 12%; semaglutide beat it head to head. | High | FDA Approved |
| Etelcalcetide | An intravenous calcimimetic peptide given three times a week at the end of dialysis. Approved as Parsabiv for secondary hyperparathyroidism in adults on hemodialysis; in a head-to-head trial, 68.2% on etelcalcetide cut parathyroid hormone by more than 30% against 57.7% on cinacalcet. | High | FDA Approved |
| Exenatide | The first GLP-1 receptor agonist (Byetta, 2005), a synthetic copy of a Gila monster venom peptide: safe for the heart in EXSCEL without proving benefit, outperformed by weekly semaglutide head to head, and negative in a phase 3 Parkinson's trial. | High | FDA Approved |
| Glucagon | Insulin's counterweight and the rescue drug for severe low blood sugar, now sold as a nasal powder and a ready-filled pen. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin aspart | Novo Nordisk's rapid-acting insulin analogue (NovoLog / NovoRapid, approved 2000): one amino-acid change at B28 brings its peak to 40–50 minutes after injection, against 80–120 for regular human insulin. Fiasp (2017) adds niacinamide and L-arginine for faster early absorption, and US biosimilars followed from 2025. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin degludec | Novo Nordisk's ultra-long-acting insulin (Tresiba, 2015) — forms soluble multi-hexamers in SC tissue that slowly dissociate for a >42-hour half-life and a flat, forgiving dosing window; the basal insulin with the lowest hypoglycemia risk profile. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin degludec / liraglutide (IDegLira) | Insulin degludec and liraglutide in one daily pen at a fixed ratio: more HbA1c lowering than either alone, with a boxed thyroid warning. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin glargine | The dominant once-daily basal insulin for two decades (Lantus, Sanofi, 2000) — the pI-shift design causes microprecipitation in subcutaneous tissue for a nearly peakless 24-hour absorption profile; Toujeo (U-300) is the same molecule at 3× concentration. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin glargine / lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) | Sanofi's fixed-ratio insulin/GLP-1 combo pen (Soliqua, FDA 2016). | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin glulisine | Sanofi's rapid-acting insulin analog (Apidra, 2004) — the third rapid-acting analog approved, differentiated by being zinc-free in formulation, which gives it slightly faster monomeric onset than lispro or aspart. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin icodec | The first once-weekly basal insulin: better HbA1c than daily insulin in type 2 diabetes, nearly double the serious hypos in type 1. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin lispro | The first FDA-approved rapid-acting insulin analog (Humalog, Lilly, 1996) — the B28–B29 position swap prevents hexamer self-association, producing faster subcutaneous absorption than regular human insulin. | High | FDA Approved |
Healing, injury and recovery 30
Peptides studied for tendon, ligament, gut and tissue repair. Most are investigational or research-only.
Related hub: the blends and stacks hub.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abaloparatide | A synthetic analog of the first 34 amino acids of PTHrP. | High | FDA Approved |
| Calcitonin | The hormone that switches off bone-dissolving cells: one 1,255-woman fracture trial, and a later option now that stronger drugs exist. | High | FDA Approved |
| Difelikefalin | A kappa opioid agonist that stays largely outside the brain, injected into the dialysis line after each session. Approved as Korsuva for kidney-disease itch; in KALM-1, 49.1% had a 3-point drop in itch score against 27.9% on placebo. | High | FDA Approved |
| Linaclotide | An oral peptide that works inside the bowel, approved for IBS with constipation and for constipation from the age of two. | High | FDA Approved |
| Palopegteriparatide | Parathyroid hormone's active fragment on a carrier that releases it steadily, injected once a day to replace the missing hormone in hypoparathyroidism. Approved as Yorvipath in 2024: in the PaTHway trial, 81% of adults had normal blood calcium without active vitamin D or high-dose calcium at one year. | High | FDA Approved |
| Plecanatide | A uroguanylin copy that draws water into the gut: approved as Trulance for chronic constipation and IBS-C, boxed warning under age 6. | High | FDA Approved |
| Teriparatide | The first 34 amino acids of parathyroid hormone. | High | FDA Approved |
| Omiganan | An indolicidin-derived cationic antimicrobial peptide developed as a topical gel over two decades. Its catheter-infection phase 3 trials (completed 2003, and CLIRS, 2005–2008) missed their primary endpoints, and its 2015–2017 rosacea phase 3 programme produced one positive and one negative trial. Never approved. | High | Discontinued |
| Parathyroid hormone (1-84) | Full-length recombinant parathyroid hormone (Natpara), approved in 2015 as daily replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism. | High | Discontinued |
| Pexiganan | A synthetic 22-amino-acid analogue of the frog-skin peptide magainin 2, tested as a 1% cream against oral ofloxacin in two phase 3 trials in 835 people with mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers; about 85-90% improved on either. Never approved. | High | Discontinued |
| Polaprezinc | Zinc bound to the dipeptide carnosine: a Japanese prescription anti-ulcer drug since 1994, tested in trials for ulcers, mouth sores, taste loss and zinc deficiency, and sold in the US as a supplement. | High | Not FDA Approved |
| Trafermin | Recombinant human FGF-2: approved in Japan as a skin-ulcer spray (Fiblast), a periodontal regeneration kit (Regroth, 2016) and a tympanic-membrane treatment (Retympa, 2019). | High | Not FDA Approved |
Skin and hair 68
Peptides used in skincare and studied for the skin, hair and the signs of ageing.
Related hub: the skin and hair hub.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botulinum Toxin | A bacterial toxin that cleaves SNAP-25 to silence nerve endings: approved for migraine, bladder, spasticity and more, under a boxed warning. | High | FDA Approved |
| Hyaluronic Acid | A sugar chain, not a peptide: FDA-approved as fillers and joint injections, brand by brand, with thinner evidence as a supplement. | High | FDA Approved |
| Argireline | A cosmetic-industry hexapeptide marketed as "topical Botox" — reduces muscle contraction signaling at the neuromuscular junction; modest but documented effects on expression-line depth. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Collagen Peptides | Hydrolysed collagen taken by mouth, a mixture of short peptides rather than one molecule. Randomised trials at 2.5 to 15 g a day report better skin elasticity and hydration, higher bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, less activity-related knee pain. A dietary supplement, not an approved medicine. | Medium | Dietary Supplement |
| Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 | The palmitoylated procollagen fragment sold as Matrixyl (pal-KTTKS): in a 12-week split-face trial in 93 women a moisturiser containing it reduced wrinkles more than the same moisturiser alone. A cosmetic ingredient, not a drug. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Pal-GHK | The palmitoylated form of the GHK tripeptide (distinct from GHK-Cu) — widely used as a cosmetic ingredient in combination with Matrixyl (Matrixyl 3000 is Pal-GHK + Pal-KTTKS) for fine-line reduction. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Hexapeptide-11 | FVAPFP, a yeast-derived cosmetic hexapeptide: cell studies report proteostasis and anti-senescence effects in fibroblasts, and one 25-person skin test run by its supplier found a small elasticity gain. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 | Pal-GQPR, the second peptide in a popular anti-wrinkle blend: studied alone only in a 2026 cell screen and a three-person skin permeation study; its IL-6 claim has no published source. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Tetrapeptide-21 | GEKG, a cosmetic tetrapeptide that raised collagen in skin cells and reduced skin roughness in one small 2011 placebo-controlled study; most later work is about getting it into skin. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Tetrapeptide-30 | PKEK, a skin-lightening tetrapeptide: supplier-authored, vehicle-controlled studies found it faded pigment, mostly when paired with a vitamin C whitener; it penetrates skin poorly from ordinary creams. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Tripeptide-29 | Gly-Pro-Hyp, collagen's repeating tripeptide, sold under the cosmetic name tripeptide-29; it reaches human blood from collagen drinks and protected skin cells and UV-exposed mice, but no human trial has tested it alone. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Acetyl Decapeptide-3 | Ac-YRSRKYTSWY-NH2, a ten-residue cosmetic peptide sold for skin firmness. PubMed holds no study of it under any of its names. | Low | Research Chemical |
Focus, mood and the brain 48
Peptides studied for attention, memory, mood, stress and brain injury.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trofinetide | An oral analogue of a three-amino-acid fragment of IGF-1, taken twice daily as a liquid. Approved as Daybue in 2023 for Rett syndrome in patients aged 2 and older; diarrhoea affected 80.6% in its phase 3 trial. | High | FDA Approved |
| Ziconotide | A cone snail venom peptide turned FDA-approved painkiller — the first non-opioid intrathecal analgesic for severe chronic pain. | High | FDA Approved |
| Cerebrolysin | A pig-brain peptide mixture approved in about 50 countries for stroke and dementia; Cochrane found no survival benefit after stroke and more non-fatal serious adverse events. | High | Not FDA Approved |
| Amilomotide | Novartis's Alzheimer's vaccine: six amino acids of amyloid-β on a virus-like particle. It raised antibodies and slowed amyloid build-up in a small prevention cohort before its programme was stopped in 2019. | Medium | Not FDA Approved |
| Beta-Endorphin | The body's most potent endogenous painkiller — the 31-amino-acid opioid peptide behind the 'runner's high' and natural pain modulation. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Davunetide | NAPVSIPQ, the minimum active fragment of ADNP — an 8-amino-acid neuroprotective peptide studied in Phase 2 (cognition in mild cognitive impairment, schizophrenia) and Phase 3 (progressive supranuclear palsy). The Phase 3 PSP trial failed in 2012; development continues in schizophrenia (Coronis / ATL-104) and ADNP syndrome research. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| DSIP | A nine-amino-acid peptide isolated from rabbit brain blood in 1977 and named for delta-wave sleep, whose sleep effects in human trials were weak and inconsistent. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Enkephalin | The body's short-acting local painkillers — five-amino-acid opioid peptides that modulate pain, mood, and gut motility at the synaptic level. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Galanin | A neuropeptide with uniquely broad functions — modulating seizures, pain, mood, and neurogenesis across three receptor subtypes. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Nemifitide | An injectable pentapeptide antidepressant tested in phase 2 trials from 1999 to 2008, with a half-life of 15 to 30 minutes; it was never approved. | Medium | Discontinued |
| Nerinetide | The stroke neuroprotectant that almost worked: three large trials missed, but every one hinted it helps patients who are not given clot-busting alteplase. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| Neuropeptide Y | The brain's most abundant neuropeptide — a 36-amino-acid master regulator of appetite, stress resilience, and anxiety that connects metabolic and cognitive peptide networks. | Medium | Research Chemical |
Growth hormone and body composition 43
Peptides that act on the growth-hormone axis, studied for muscle, fat and recovery.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corticorelin | Ferring Pharmaceuticals' synthetic ovine CRH (Acthrel) — FDA-approved diagnostic peptide used to distinguish pituitary Cushing disease from ectopic ACTH secretion via inferior petrosal sinus sampling or peripheral ACTH/cortisol response testing. | High | FDA Approved |
| Corticotropin | The pituitary hormone that tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol. As Acthar Gel it treats infantile spasms and MS relapses, with a long list of older indications and a famously high price. | High | FDA Approved |
| HCG | A prescription fertility hormone that acts like LH: the IVF trigger and a treatment for male hypogonadism, used off-label beside testosterone on the strength of two small studies, and shown not to work for weight loss. | High | FDA Approved |
| IGF-1 | The growth factor behind growth hormone: given as Increlex to children who cannot make it, and in adults a level whose extremes both track risk. | High | FDA Approved |
| Lanreotide | A long-acting somatostatin analogue injected every 28 days, sold as Somatuline Depot for acromegaly, gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours and carcinoid syndrome. In the 204-patient CLARINET trial it more than halved the risk of progression or death, with 65% progression-free at 24 months against 33% on placebo. | High | FDA Approved |
| Lonapegsomatropin | Ascendis Pharma's once-weekly growth hormone prodrug (Skytrofa) — the first weekly GH to receive FDA approval (August 2021) for pediatric GH deficiency in patients aged 1+ years weighing at least 11.5 kg. | High | FDA Approved |
| Macimorelin | An orally active ghrelin receptor agonist FDA-approved in 2017 as a diagnostic test for adult growth hormone deficiency — the only oral alternative to the insulin tolerance test. | High | FDA Approved |
| Mecasermin | Ipsen's recombinant human IGF-1 (Increlex) — FDA-approved in 2005 for severe primary IGF-1 deficiency; the direct replacement for IGF-1 in patients whose own IGF-1 production is inadequate despite normal GH levels. | High | FDA Approved |
| Navepegritide | The weekly achondroplasia treatment — a PEGylated CNP prodrug approved in 2026 that provides continuous growth plate stimulation with once-weekly dosing. | High | FDA Approved |
| Octreotide | The first-generation somatostatin analog (FDA-approved as Sandostatin, 1988) — the pharmacological counterweight to growth-hormone excess. Used for acromegaly, carcinoid syndrome, and VIPoma; now available in injectable, LAR-depot, and oral (Mycapssa, 2020) formulations. | High | FDA Approved |
| Pasireotide | The somatostatin analog for Cushing's disease — the only FDA-approved medical therapy targeting pituitary ACTH secretion, with uniquely broad somatostatin receptor affinity. | High | FDA Approved |
| Pegvisomant | Pfizer's GH receptor antagonist (Somavert) — FDA-approved in 2003 for acromegaly; important to distinguish from GH agonists because it does the opposite (blocks GH action rather than supplementing it). | High | FDA Approved |
Heart and circulation 51
Peptides studied for blood pressure, heart failure, clotting and the blood vessels.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angiotensin II | The body's blood-pressure hormone as an ICU drug: Giapreza raised pressure in seven of ten patients in shock; survival did not significantly change. | High | FDA Approved |
| Bivalirudin | Angiomax — the workhorse direct thrombin inhibitor for percutaneous coronary intervention. FDA-approved December 2000 (The Medicines Company, now Sandoz); the first synthetic peptide DTI to achieve broad PCI adoption. REPLACE-2, ACUITY, and HORIZONS-AMI trials established the anticoagulant profile; subsequent MATRIX trial outcomes shifted practice in some populations back toward heparin. | High | FDA Approved |
| Desmopressin | DDAVP — the classic V2-selective vasopressin analog. FDA-approved February 1978 for central diabetes insipidus; decades of label expansion added primary nocturnal enuresis, nocturia (Noctiva / Nocdurna), and hemostatic use in mild hemophilia A and type 1 von Willebrand disease. WHO Essential Medicines List. | High | FDA Approved |
| Enlicitide | Merck's oral macrocyclic peptide PCSK9 inhibitor, approved by FDA as Lipfendra on July 15. | High | FDA Approved |
| Eptifibatide | A cyclic heptapeptide that blocks platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, modelled on barbourin from the venom of the southeastern pigmy rattlesnake. FDA-approved as Integrilin on May 18, 1998 for acute coronary syndromes and coronary intervention; now sold as generics. | High | FDA Approved |
| Erythropoietin (EPO) | A glycoprotein hormone that drives red blood cell production; recombinant forms are FDA-approved standards of care for anemia of chronic kidney disease and chemotherapy-induced anemia, and have a notorious history of misuse in endurance sport. | High | FDA Approved |
| Icatibant | The bradykinin blocker for angioedema — a synthetic decapeptide B2 receptor antagonist that stops acute swelling attacks within 30 minutes. | High | FDA Approved |
| Sotatercept | An activin-trapping fusion protein for pulmonary arterial hypertension, FDA-approved in 2024 as Winrevair; it improved walking distance in the phase 3 STELLAR trial. | High | FDA Approved |
| Terlipressin | Terlivaz — the first and only FDA-approved drug for hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). FDA-approved September 2022 (Mallinckrodt) for adults with HRS with rapid reduction in kidney function, after a multi-decade regulatory history including four prior Complete Response Letters and the successful CONFIRM Phase 3 trial (NEJM 2021). | High | FDA Approved |
| Vasopressin | The antidiuretic hormone as an ICU vasopressor (Vasostrict, 2014): added to norepinephrine in shock, it was safe but did not lower mortality in VASST or pooled trials, did better after cardiac surgery, and its price rose steeply after a 2014 rebranding. | High | FDA Approved |
| ANP | The heart's salt-excreting hormone: sold in Japan as carperitide since 1995, while US kidney trials of anaritide found no benefit. | High | Not FDA Approved |
| Aprotinin | A protease-inhibiting polypeptide that cut bleeding in heart surgery; its maker suspended sales worldwide in 2007 after the BART trial found more deaths. | High | Discontinued |
Sexual and reproductive health 45
Peptides studied for sexual function, fertility hormones and related conditions.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afamelanotide | An FDA-approved selective MC1R agonist marketed as Scenesse — the first-in-class treatment for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), delivered as a subdermal implant. | High | FDA Approved |
| Alprostadil | A synthetic prostaglandin E1 vasodilator FDA-approved for intracavernosal use in erectile dysfunction and for maintaining ductus arteriosus patency in neonatal congenital heart disease. | High | FDA Approved |
| Cetrorelix | Merck Serono's Cetrotide — a GnRH antagonist used during IVF controlled ovarian stimulation to block premature LH surges. Unlike GnRH agonists, produces immediate gonadotropin suppression without a flare, shortening IVF cycles. | High | FDA Approved |
| Degarelix | An approved GnRH antagonist (Firmagon) for advanced prostate cancer: castrate testosterone by day 3 in 96% of men, no flare, but frequent injection-site reactions and an unsettled heart-safety question. | High | FDA Approved |
| Elagolix | The first oral GnRH antagonist — a non-peptide small molecule that suppresses estrogen production without injection, FDA-approved for endometriosis pain. | High | FDA Approved |
| Follitropin alfa | Recombinant human FSH (Gonal-f), approved in the US on September 29, 1997, the same day as follitropin beta: daily injections that grow ovarian follicles for ovulation induction and IVF and, with hCG, restart sperm production in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. | High | FDA Approved |
| Follitropin beta | Organon/Merck's Follistim AQ (Puregon internationally) — a recombinant human FSH produced independently of follitropin alfa but clinically equivalent; FDA-approved 1997 for ovulation induction and IVF controlled ovarian stimulation. | High | FDA Approved |
| Ganirelix | The GnRH antagonist that keeps an IVF cycle from ovulating early, and cut the protocol from weeks of injections to days. | High | FDA Approved |
| Goserelin | Zoladex, a GnRH agonist set in a biodegradable implant placed under the skin every 28 days. | High | FDA Approved |
| Histrelin | A GnRH agonist implant that suppresses puberty for twelve months at a time; the prostate-cancer version has been discontinued. | High | FDA Approved |
| Leuprolide | The prototypical long-acting GnRH agonist: after a brief flare it shuts down testosterone and oestrogen, FDA-approved since 1985 in forms from a daily pen to six-month depots for prostate cancer, endometriosis, fibroids and central precocious puberty. | High | FDA Approved |
| Menotropin | The urine-derived FSH and LH preparation used for IVF ovarian stimulation, still about equal to recombinant FSH in trials. | High | FDA Approved |
Longevity and cell health 36
Peptides studied for ageing, mitochondria, senescent cells and cellular stress. The evidence here is early.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elamipretide | A four-amino-acid peptide (SS-31) that targets mitochondria and binds cardiolipin; approved in 2025 as Forzinity to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome, after a large mitochondrial-myopathy programme that was not approved. | High | FDA Approved |
| SS-31 (Elamipretide) | The first FDA-approved mitochondria-targeted peptide therapeutic — approved September 2025 as Forzinity for Barth syndrome, with broader investigation in heart failure, macular degeneration, and aging. | High | FDA Approved |
| GDF15 | ⚠ Not a peptide — a 12 kDa TGF-β superfamily protein. Rises with age and with mitochondrial stress; a potent anorexic/cachexia signal via its brainstem GFRAL/RET receptor. Active clinical development in two directions: agonism for obesity (NGM120, LY3463251) and antagonism for cachexia (ponsegromab, Pfizer Phase 3 PROACC-1 in cancer cachexia). | High | In Clinical Trials |
| Carnosine | β-alanyl-L-histidine, the dipeptide concentrated in muscle and brain that buffers acid and resists glycation; as a supplement, small trials are mixed, and a 299-person trial found no general effect on physical performance. | Medium | Dietary Supplement |
| Klotho Peptide | The kidney protein whose shed form circulates in blood and works with FGF23 on mineral balance, sold online as a longevity peptide. No published trial has given klotho to a person: human studies measure it, and 24 weeks of supervised exercise in 144 young adults did not move it. Research only. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Melatonin | The pineal darkness signal: an unregulated supplement in the US, a prescription prolonged-release medicine for insomnia in Europe. | Medium | Dietary Supplement |
| NAD+ | The coenzyme every cell runs on, sold as IV drips and injections: one small 2026 heart-failure trial is the only controlled test of NAD+ itself. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| SHLP2 | A 26-aa mitochondrial-derived peptide, the most-studied of the SHLP1–SHLP6 family (Cohen lab, USC). Preclinical data report insulin-sensitizing, antiapoptotic, and metabolic-protective effects; lower plasma levels in humans correlate with age and with type 2 diabetes. Research-only; no human clinical trials. | Medium | Research Chemical |
| Epithalamin | The pineal extract from which epitalon (AEDG) was designed. Its lifespan studies are in flies, mice and rats; its human evidence is old and small. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Epithalon | A synthetic pineal tetrapeptide from Vladimir Khavinson's St. Petersburg group, with telomerase and telomere-length data from cell cultures and little human evidence. | Low | Research Chemical |
| GDF11 | Not a peptide: the TGF-β protein reported in 2013-2014 to rejuvenate old mouse hearts and muscle, then disputed over faulty assays. Never tested in people. | Low | Research Chemical |
| Glutathione | The tripeptide antioxidant every cell makes. Oral doses raised body stores in a six-month trial; IV drips sold for skin lightening have little controlled evidence. | Low | Research Chemical |
Immune defence and infection 81
Peptides studied for the immune system, inflammation and infection, including the antimicrobial peptides.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anidulafungin | The echinocandin that beat fluconazole for invasive candidiasis in a head-to-head trial, and the one that degrades on its own in blood rather than relying on the liver. | High | FDA Approved |
| Bacitracin | The topical first-aid antibiotic — one of the most widely used over-the-counter peptide antibiotics, found in virtually every household first-aid kit. | High | FDA Approved |
| Bulevirtide | A peptide that blocks the receptor hepatitis B and D viruses use to enter liver cells, injected once a day. FDA-approved as Hepcludex on May 22, 2026; in the phase 3 MYR301 trial, 45% to 48% of treated patients met the combined response goal at 48 weeks against 2% untreated. | High | FDA Approved |
| Caspofungin | The first echinocandin: a cyclic lipopeptide that attacks the fungal cell wall, an enzyme human cells do not have. A daily intravenous mainstay for serious Candida infections since 2001. | High | FDA Approved |
| Colistin | Polymyxin B's sibling — a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic revived from the 1950s as the ultimate weapon against pan-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, despite significant nephrotoxicity. | High | FDA Approved |
| Cyclosporine | The fungal cyclic peptide that made modern organ transplantation work. It is still used for transplants, severe autoimmune disease and, as eye drops, dry eye. | High | FDA Approved |
| Dalbavancin | An antibiotic that lasts so long one infusion can treat a skin infection. Its effective half-life is about 8.5 days, which is why a course can be a single dose. | High | FDA Approved |
| Daptomycin | A last-resort lipopeptide antibiotic — the first-in-class cyclic peptide that kills MRSA and VRE by depolarizing bacterial membranes, without resistance through traditional mechanisms. | High | FDA Approved |
| Ecallantide | A kallikrein-blocking protein injected during hereditary angioedema attacks. It works, but its anaphylaxis risk means it must be given by a healthcare professional. | High | FDA Approved |
| Glatiramer Acetate | A synthetic peptide polymer for multiple sclerosis — one of the first disease-modifying therapies for MS, mimicking myelin basic protein to shift the immune response from attack to tolerance. | High | FDA Approved |
| Gramicidin | One of the first antibiotics, isolated in 1939: too toxic to swallow or inject, still used in combination eye and ear drops. | High | FDA Approved |
| Icotrokinra | Johnson & Johnson's oral IL-23 receptor-blocking peptide, approved by FDA as Icotyde on March 17, 2026 for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis from age 12: in two phase 3 trials 68-70% had clear or almost clear skin at week 16. | High | FDA Approved |
Diagnostic and research tools 91
Peptides used mainly as imaging tracers or laboratory tools rather than treatments.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleomycin | A Streptomyces glycopeptide antibiotic mixture used in cancer chemotherapy, FDA-approved for lymphomas, testicular cancer and squamous cell carcinomas, best known for dose-related lung toxicity. | High | FDA Approved |
| Carfilzomib | A tetrapeptide epoxyketone proteasome inhibitor, FDA-approved as Kyprolis for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, alone or with dexamethasone and other drugs. | High | FDA Approved |
| Copper Cu 64 dotatate | The copper-64 version of the neuroendocrine tumour PET scan: a longer-lived label that ships ready to inject and, in one head-to-head study, found more true lesions. | High | FDA Approved |
| Dactinomycin | Actinomycin D: a Streptomyces antibiotic with peptide side chains, FDA-approved for Wilms tumour, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and other cancers. | High | FDA Approved |
| Edotreotide | The other octreotide-based tracer: approved with gallium-68 for PET scans, and in late-stage trials with lutetium-177 as a tumour-killing therapy. | High | FDA Approved |
| Flotufolastat F 18 | 18F-rhPSMA-7.3: a radiohybrid fluorine-18 PSMA PET agent for prostate cancer, FDA-approved as Posluma in 2023. | High | FDA Approved |
| Gallium Ga 68 dotatate | A radiolabelled octreotate peptide that lights up somatostatin receptors on neuroendocrine tumours, with sensitivity above 90% in pooled studies. | High | FDA Approved |
| Gozetotide | The PSMA PET tracer that finds prostate cancer spread that CT and bone scans miss, and selects patients for Pluvicto. First approved in 2020; sold as Locametz, Illuccix and Gozellix. | High | FDA Approved |
| Indium In 111 pentetreotide | The first peptide-receptor imaging agent: an indium-labelled octreotide that made neuroendocrine tumours visible, since largely overtaken by gallium-68 and copper-64 PET. | High | FDA Approved |
| Lutetium-177 DOTATATE | A targeted radiotherapy peptide — a somatostatin analog armed with a radioactive warhead that delivers lethal radiation directly to neuroendocrine tumor cells expressing sst2 receptors. | High | FDA Approved |
| Piflufolastat F 18 | 18F-DCFPyL: a fluorine-18 PSMA PET tracer for prostate cancer, FDA-approved as Pylarify in 2021 and authorised in the EU as Pylclari in 2023. | High | FDA Approved |
| Romidepsin | A bicyclic depsipeptide HDAC inhibitor, FDA-approved as Istodax for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma after at least one prior systemic therapy. | High | FDA Approved |
In development 50
Peptide drugs that are approved since 2025, filed, or in trials — the ones coming next.
Related hub: the pipeline tracker.
| Peptide | What it is | Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apitegromab | ⚠ Monoclonal antibody, not a peptide. Scholar Rock's antibody against the proforms of myostatin, FDA-approved on September 11, 2026 as Isembyld for spinal muscular atrophy in patients 2 and older already on an SMN2-targeted treatment. | High | FDA Approved |
| Insulin efsitora alfa | Lilly's once-weekly basal insulin, an insulin variant fused to an antibody Fc fragment, FDA-approved in September 2026 as Onswik for adults with type 2 diabetes after four QWINT trials found HbA1c lowering non-inferior to daily basal insulin. | High | FDA Approved |
| Garetosmab | An anti-activin A antibody approved in 2026 for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, after a phase 2 that missed its primary endpoint. | Medium | FDA Approved |
| Apraglutide | Ironwood's weekly GLP-2 analog for short-bowel syndrome — STARS Phase 3 positive (2024), NDA submitted to FDA 2025; potentially the first once-weekly SBS therapy and a meaningful improvement over teduglutide's daily dosing. | High | In Development |
| CagriSema | Novo Nordisk's next-generation obesity injection — NDA filed December 2025; not on FDA's list of 2026 novel drug approvals as of October 20, 2026. The first GLP-1 + amylin fixed-dose combination submitted to FDA. | High | In Development |
| Efpeglenatide | A weekly-to-monthly exendin-4-based GLP-1 agonist with positive Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes (AMPLITUDE-O, 2021) — Sanofi returned the license to Hanmi in 2020; Hanmi re-partnered with Innovent in 2020 for China development and with Kailera in 2024 for global development. | High | In Clinical Trials |
| Taspoglutide | A once-weekly GLP-1 RA co-developed by Ipsen and Roche — Phase 3 halted in 2010 after unacceptably high rates of injection-site reactions and hypersensitivity (including systemic allergic reactions), making it the most prominent immunogenicity-driven failure in the GLP-1 class. | High | Discontinued |
| Amycretin | Novo Nordisk's investigational single-molecule GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| Bimagrumab | The activin receptor antibody that adds muscle and removes fat: failed in a muscle disease, now paired with semaglutide for obesity. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| Bofanglutide | A long-acting GLP-1 agonist tested every two weeks; adults with obesity lost 9.8% to 16.7% of body weight over 30 weeks in a phase 2b trial. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| Canvuparatide | A slow-release parathyroid hormone fragment meant to be injected once a week in hypoparathyroidism; its active peptide lasted about a week in healthy volunteers, and a phase 3 trial began in 2026. | Medium | In Clinical Trials |
| Cotadutide | A GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonist that reached phase 2b in diabetes, kidney and liver disease before AstraZeneca stopped it in 2023. | Medium | Discontinued |
How these groups are decided
Each goal is one of the encyclopedia's categories, chosen from the condition or use each peptide is actually studied for, as recorded on its entry. A peptide appears under one goal even when it has been studied in more than one area; its entry lists every use. The evidence grades and regulatory statuses are the same ones shown throughout the site, drawn from trials, labels and regulators. For how we grade evidence and decide status, see our methodology.