Question 1

What is Peptide Compass?

Accepted Answer

Peptide Compass compares publicly documented vendor information. The provisional documentation score covers lab documentation, shop attributes and delivery information. Prices are compared separately by compound.

Question 2

Are these real vendors?

Accepted Answer

Peptide Compass lists 24 real vendors with publicly documented facts as of Sep 15, 2026. Prices, batches and reviews will follow once collected.

Question 3

What does the Ad label mean?

Accepted Answer

All shop links are labelled Ad. Peptidwerk, Particle Peptides and Bio BoostX are currently our confirmed affiliate partners. We may earn commission on a referred purchase. The label does not mean we have a partnership with every linked shop.

Question 4

Are these substances approved for human use?

Accepted Answer

The research products compared here are not intended for human use. Research products and approved medicines must be considered separately. The status of the specific product matters.

Question 5

What is Peptide Compass?

Accepted Answer

Peptide Compass organizes public vendor information, product prices and certificates of analysis. You can inspect evidence and gaps in the data. This is not a recommendation for human use.

Question 6

Where do the ratings come from?

Accepted Answer

The documentation score uses recorded criteria only. Weights of 25, 25, 15, 15 and 20 percent are redistributed across available values. Missing criteria are neither zero points nor a pass. Scores based on different evidence coverage are only partly comparable.

Question 7

Are these real vendors?

Accepted Answer

The directory contains real vendors. A listing can be active, inactive, under review or without its own shop. Only active vendors enter the ranking. Status reflects the documented date, not a guarantee of current availability.

Question 8

Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?

Accepted Answer

No. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule, not a peptide, and does not consist of an amino acid chain. It is studied as a selective inhibitor of the NNMT enzyme and listed here among metabolism-related compounds because it acts on related target systems.

Question 9

Are there human studies on 5-Amino-1MQ?

Accepted Answer

No, no controlled clinical studies in humans are known to date. All published data come from preclinical research in mice.

Question 10

Why is NNMT studied in research?

Accepted Answer

NNMT is an enzyme active in adipose tissue and muscle that breaks down nicotinamide, a precursor of NAD+. Elevated NNMT levels have been linked to reduced metabolic activity in preclinical models, which is why its inhibition is being studied as a research approach.

Question 11

Is AOD-9604 approved as a medication?

Accepted Answer

No. AOD-9604 was studied in six clinical trials, and development as an obesity compound was discontinued in 2007. It is currently not an approved medication and is sold only as a research chemical.

Question 12

How does AOD-9604 differ from full growth hormone?

Accepted Answer

AOD-9604 contains only the lipolytic region of the hGH molecule (amino acids 177-191), not the region that triggers IGF-1-mediated growth effects. Unlike intact hGH, it showed no effect on IGF-1 or insulin sensitivity in studies.

Question 13

Is AOD-9604 allowed in sport?

Accepted Answer

No. AOD-9604 is listed as a growth hormone fragment on the WADA Prohibited List, and no therapeutic use exemption is available for it.

Question 14

Is BPC-157 an approved medication?

Accepted Answer

No. BPC-157 is not approved as a medication in the EU or the United States. It is sold commercially only as a research chemical for laboratory use, not for human use.

Question 15

Where does the BPC-157 sequence come from?

Accepted Answer

It is derived from a protective protein found in human gastric juice, which is also the origin of the name Body Protection Compound.

Question 16

Are there human studies on BPC-157?

Accepted Answer

There are a few small studies and case series with methodological limitations, but no large, placebo-controlled trials. Most of the evidence comes from animal models.

Question 17

What is the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC

Accepted Answer

Without DAC, the peptide is broken down within minutes, producing a short, pronounced hormone pulse. With DAC, a chemical anchor binds to albumin in the blood, extending the duration to several days, while studies indicate the pulsatile release pattern is preserved.

Question 18

Is CJC-1295 an approved medication

Accepted Answer

No. CJC-1295 is not approved as a medication in the EU or the US and is sold exclusively as a research chemical for laboratory use.

Question 19

What is CJC-1295 studied for in research

Accepted Answer

CJC-1295 is studied in the context of the growth hormone axis, particularly regarding the body's own release of growth hormone and the resulting IGF-1 production in the liver.

Question 20

Is cagrilintide already available as a medication?

Accepted Answer

No. Cagrilintide is being studied as a standalone substance and in the CagriSema combination in phase 3 trials. An FDA approval process for CagriSema has been underway since December 2025. Cagrilintide is currently not an approved medication.

Question 21

What sets cagrilintide apart from semaglutide?

Accepted Answer

Semaglutide acts on the GLP-1 receptor, while cagrilintide acts on amylin receptors in the brain. Both compounds are also studied as a fixed combination called CagriSema, which showed a greater effect on body weight in trials than either substance alone.

Question 22

Where does cagrilintide come from?

Accepted Answer

Cagrilintide was developed by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which also developed semaglutide. It is referenced under the short designations AM833 and NN9838 in clinical trials, including the REDEFINE trial program.

Question 23

Has the sleep-promoting effect of DSIP been confirmed in studies

Accepted Answer

The evidence is inconsistent. Early studies reported sleep-promoting effects, but a 2006 review concluded that this effect could not be consistently reproduced in independent studies.

Question 24

Where does the name DSIP come from

Accepted Answer

DSIP stands for delta sleep-inducing peptide. The name traces back to its first description in 1977, when it was isolated from the brain blood of sleeping rabbits and triggered delta-wave EEG activity in that animal model.

Question 25

Is DSIP legally available in Germany

Accepted Answer

DSIP is not approved as a medication in Germany or the EU. It is offered exclusively as a research chemical for laboratory purposes, not for human use.

Question 26

Are there any human studies on dihexa

Accepted Answer

No. All data published on dihexa to date come from animal models, mainly rats. A safety profile for human use has not been examined, so neither tolerability nor efficacy data in humans exist.

Question 27

How is dihexa's mechanism of action explained

Accepted Answer

Dihexa is reported to bind to the hepatocyte growth factor receptor c-Met, a pathway proposed to trigger synaptogenesis in cell models. Part of the work that originally supported this mechanism was retracted in 2025 due to falsified data.

Question 28

Is dihexa an approved medication

Accepted Answer

No. Dihexa has never entered a clinical approval process for human use and is not approved as a medication in Germany, the EU, or the United States. It is sold exclusively as a research chemical.

Question 29

Has epitalon been studied in humans?

Accepted Answer

Available data come predominantly from cell culture and animal models. Controlled clinical studies in humans meeting Western standards are not yet available.

Question 30

What does epitalon have to do with telomeres?

Accepted Answer

Cell culture studies observed an increase in telomerase activity and telomere elongation. Whether this translates to the whole organism remains open.

Question 31

Is epitalon legally available in Germany?

Accepted Answer

Epitalon is not approved as a medication and is offered exclusively as a research chemical, not for human use.

Question 32

Is GHK-Cu approved in cosmetics?

Accepted Answer

In the United States, copper tripeptide-1 is listed as a cosmetic ingredient. The EU has no comparable standalone approval, though cosmetic products are widely sold.

Question 33

Where is the strongest evidence for GHK-Cu?

Accepted Answer

The most robust human data come from topical skin studies. Systemic, injected use relies mostly on preclinical animal and cell models.

Question 34

Is the copper in GHK-Cu a safety risk?

Accepted Answer

At typical cosmetic concentrations this is not described as a relevant risk. The literature considers copper deficiency more likely than overload.

Question 35

Does hexarelin differ from ipamorelin

Accepted Answer

Yes. Both bind to the same ghrelin receptor, but hexarelin additionally showed a relevant release of ACTH and cortisol in studies, while ipamorelin is considered more selective for the growth hormone axis alone.

Question 36

Was hexarelin studied in children

Accepted Answer

Hexarelin has been used in clinical studies on growth hormone secretion in children at different pubertal stages, within controlled research protocols and not as an approved medication.

Question 37

Is hexarelin an approved medication

Accepted Answer

No. Hexarelin is not approved as a medication in the EU or the US and is offered exclusively as a research chemical, not for human use.

Question 38

What distinguishes IGF-1 LR3 from natural IGF-1?

Accepted Answer

IGF-1 LR3 carries additional amino acids at the N-terminus and an altered position 3, which means it barely binds IGF-binding proteins and therefore acts on the receptor longer and more strongly than native IGF-1.

Question 39

Is IGF-1 LR3 allowed in sport?

Accepted Answer

No, it is listed as a growth factor on the WADA Prohibited List (category S2) and is banned at all times in organized sport.

Question 40

Are there human studies on IGF-1 LR3?

Accepted Answer

Controlled human studies are not available, the existing evidence comes from cell and animal models, a 2026 review points to this evidence gap.

Question 41

Does ipamorelin raise cortisol like older peptides in the same class

Accepted Answer

In the available studies, unlike older peptides such as GHRP-6 or GHRP-2, ipamorelin showed no relevant increase in ACTH or cortisol. This is considered its best scientifically documented distinguishing feature.

Question 42

Is ipamorelin an approved medication

Accepted Answer

No. The FDA halted ipamorelin's clinical development in 2023. It is not approved in the EU or the US and is sold as a research chemical.

Question 43

Why was ipamorelin's development stopped

Accepted Answer

After two deaths occurred in a study population of severely ill patients following abdominal surgery, the FDA halted further development in 2023. A causal link to the peptide is considered scientifically disputed.

Question 44

Where does KPV come from?

Accepted Answer

KPV is a fragment of the hormone alpha-MSH, made of the three amino acids lysine, proline, and valine.

Question 45

Does KPV act through the melanocortin receptor?

Accepted Answer

No. In animal models, the anti-inflammatory effect is described independently of the melanocortin receptor, instead relying on the transporter PepT1.

Question 46

Are there human studies on KPV?

Accepted Answer

No, to date only cell and animal studies exist, mostly on inflammatory bowel disease.

Question 47

Is kisspeptin-10 the same as the kisspeptin tested in clinical trials

Accepted Answer

Not quite. Most major clinical trials on fertility or sexual arousal used the longer natural isoform kisspeptin-54. Kisspeptin-10 is the shortest fragment with full receptor activity and has mainly been studied in mechanistic research on LH release in men.

Question 48

How does kisspeptin-10 act on the body

Accepted Answer

It binds to the KISS1R receptor on GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus and triggers pulsatile GnRH release. This downstream governs LH and FSH secretion from the pituitary gland and, with it, central functions of the reproductive axis.

Question 49

Is kisspeptin-10 legally available in Germany

Accepted Answer

Kisspeptin-10 is not approved as a medication in Germany, the EU, or the United States. It is offered exclusively as a research chemical for laboratory purposes, not for human use.

Question 50

Is LL-37 a naturally occurring human peptide?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is the only known human cathelicidin peptide and is produced by immune, skin, and mucosal cells, especially during injury or infection.

Question 51

Are there clinical studies on LL-37?

Accepted Answer

Yes, several randomized trials examined topical application on hard-to-heal wounds such as venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, with mostly positive safety results.

Question 52

Does LL-37 act only as an antimicrobial?

Accepted Answer

No, besides its direct effect on bacterial membranes, immunomodulatory effects such as immune cell recruitment and promotion of blood vessel formation are also described.

Question 53

What makes MOTS-c different from other peptides

Accepted Answer

MOTS-c is encoded directly in mitochondrial DNA rather than in the cell nucleus. It acts through the cellular energy sensor AMPK and is therefore classified as an exercise mimetic.

Question 54

Is MOTS-c an approved medication

Accepted Answer

No. MOTS-c is not approved as a medication or food product in either the EU or the US and is sold exclusively as a research chemical.

Question 55

How robust is the human data on MOTS-c

Accepted Answer

Limited so far. Evidence mainly consists of preclinical animal studies and one human observational study on correlation with muscle strength; controlled human intervention trials are still lacking.

Question 56

Is melanotan II approved?

Accepted Answer

No, melanotan II itself is not approved in the EU or the United States. It is sold only as a research chemical, while three related compounds are approved for other indications.

Question 57

Does melanotan II only work with sunlight?

Accepted Answer

No. According to studies, pigment formation occurs independently of UV exposure. UV light can further enhance the effect but is not required for it.

Question 58

What side effects have studies described?

Accepted Answer

Most commonly nausea and facial flushing. Less often, increases in blood pressure, a prolonged erection as a medical emergency, and changes in moles have been described.

Question 59

Is oxytocin an approved medication or a research chemical

Accepted Answer

Both, depending on the use. For labor induction and postpartum hemorrhage, oxytocin is a prescription medication. For other research questions such as social behavior, it is separately sold as a research chemical, without approval for that purpose.

Question 60

What is oxytocin studied for in social-behavior research

Accepted Answer

Studies examine intranasally administered oxytocin in relation to trust, bonding, and social perception. Results are mixed, and a widely cited early trust study could not be confirmed in a replication.

Question 61

Does oxytocin work for autism spectrum disorder

Accepted Answer

The largest randomized trial in adults with autism spectrum disorder to date found no significant effect of intranasal oxytocin on core social symptoms compared to placebo.

Question 62

Is PT-141 the same as melanotan II

Accepted Answer

No. Both trace back to related melanocortin structures, but PT-141 (bremelanotide) was specifically studied for sexual desire, while melanotan II was researched mainly for skin pigmentation. Only bremelanotide reached market approval in the US, as Vyleesi.

Question 63

Is bremelanotide an approved medication

Accepted Answer

In the US, yes: since 2019 bremelanotide has been approved under the name Vyleesi for the indication of HSDD in premenopausal women. In Germany and the EU, no drug approval exists, and the substance is classed as a research chemical there.

Question 64

What side effects were observed in studies

Accepted Answer

The most frequently documented effects were nausea, flushing, headache, and transient blood pressure increases after administration. According to the FDA label, the substance is contraindicated in uncontrolled hypertension or known cardiovascular disease.

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