Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Ac-QDVH, a cosmetic anti-ageing tetrapeptide. Published human use is a single multi-ingredient serum case series; no study tests it alone.
Acetyl tetrapeptide-9 is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Ac-Gln-Asp-Val-His, sold as an anti-ageing cosmetic ingredient (PubChem lists it under its INCI name). The only human report found is a 2025 case series of a six-ingredient serum that contained it at 3%, used alongside energy-based procedures, so nothing published isolates its own effect. It is not a drug and has no drug approval.
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Recommended Dosing
No dosing data yet
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Mechanism of action
Not established in published studies. No paper found measures what the peptide does in skin on its own; the only human report used it inside a six-ingredient serum.
Primary uses
- Cosmetic anti-ageing serums and creams
Typical dosing
The one human report used a serum containing 3% of the ingredient among five others; that is a product concentration, not a studied amount of the peptide alone, and no study sets one.
Regulatory status
Not a drug: listed as a cosmetic ingredient under its INCI name (PubChem CID 11606295). Drugs@FDA and the EMA medicines list hold no record for it (searched October 28, 2026).
Status as of this entry's last review, October 28, 2026. Approvals, compounding rules and sport rules change; the regulatory tracker is checked more often.
What we checked
Acetyl tetrapeptide-9 is an anti-ageing cosmetic ingredient with almost no literature; this section records what can be checked.
Identity, computed
| Sequence | Ac-Gln-Asp-Val-His (Ac-QDVH) |
| Formula | C22H33N7O9 |
| Average mass | 539.55 g/mol |
| Monoisotopic mass | 539.234 Da |
| Isoelectric point | 3.75 (net charge -1.76 at pH 7) |
The sequence is PubChem's for the INCI ingredient (N-acetyl-Gln-Asp-Val-His, free acid); the values below are computed and agree with PubChem's formula.
Regulatory status, read October 28, 2026
Drugs@FDA: 0 records for “acetyl tetrapeptide-9”. EMA medicines list: 0 records for “acetyl tetrapeptide-9”. Run for semaglutide, the same queries return 6 and 5 records (and the registry search 80 trials), so a zero here is an absence, not a broken search. Not named on the WADA 2026 and 2027 Prohibited Lists. As a substance with no current approval for human therapeutic use, it falls under section S0 (non-approved substances), which is prohibited at all times; the lists were read on October 28, 2026.
What the studies show
A 2025 real-world case series described a serum with six active ingredients, one of them 3% acetyl tetrapeptide-9, used with energy-based facial procedures (the RGN-6 case series). Neither design isolates the peptide.
What we looked for and did not find
No study of the peptide alone in people or animals, no registry record and no drug approval.
| Source | Query | Results, October 28, 2026 | What it was |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed | ("tetrapeptide-9"[tiab] OR "tetrapeptide 9"[tiab]) AND acetyl[tiab] | 1 | the hyphenated INCI name is matched word by word (Q958): a phrase search for a hyphen-numbered name misses papers |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | acetyl tetrapeptide-9 | 0 | |
| Drugs@FDA (openFDA) | acetyl tetrapeptide-9 | 0 | |
| EMA medicines list | acetyl tetrapeptide-9 | 0 |
References
- [other] PubChem CID 11606295, Acetyl tetrapeptide-9: formula C22H33N7O9, molecular weight 539.5. Read October 28, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11606295
- [pubmed] Alexis A, et al. "Real World Case Series: Integrated Skincare With Advanced RGN-6 Serum." J Cosmet Dermatol, 2025;24 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):e70303. PMID: 40709746.
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This entry is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Dosing information reflects published regulatory or research data and is not a recommendation. Many compounds described here are not approved for human use in the United States. Consult a licensed medical professional before considering any peptide therapy.