Need help or have questions about your order? Call 510-991-8265Questions about your order? Call 510-991-8265

Sign InShop GLPs
Shop GLPs

Peptide statistics 2026: what the human studies actually show

By
Updated
26 linked public sourcesEditorial, sourcing, and corrections policy

Key numbers

  • 3 studiesHuman BPC-157 studies found by a 2026 systematic review, with overall certainty of evidence rated very low (n=30 total)Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 25.3 hoursMedian time to first tolerated meal with IV ipamorelin after bowel resection (placebo: 32.6 hours)Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • -10.9%Visceral fat change at 6 months with tesamorelin in HIV patients (placebo: -0.6%)Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 4 registered studiesClinicalTrials.gov registered studies for BPC-157, none with posted resultsSource: clinicaltrials.gov, as cited 2026-11-10

This page counts the human evidence behind popular peptides, using published papers, FDA documents, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WADA prohibited list. Each number is stated with who or what it applies to, and animal and lab findings are labeled as such. Last updated November 10, 2026.

How many registered human trials exist

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 0 registered studies for KPV, and a general term search for KPV also returned 0. A trial registered under a different name, such as the full sequence Lys-Pro-Val or a company code, would not be caught by this search. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 0 registered studies for Semax, and a general term search for Semax also returned 0. The registry does not capture every Russian trial, so 0 means none registered on this registry, not that no human study exists. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered study for TB-500: NCT07487363, a recruiting phase 1/phase 2 study of cardiovascular biomarkers with an estimated enrollment of 80. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered study for CJC-1295: NCT00267527, a phase 2 study in HIV patients with visceral obesity, with status terminated and enrollment of 120. No results are posted. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered studies for BPC-157, and none of the four has posted results. Their statuses are recruiting, unknown, not yet recruiting and completed. One of the four tests a combination gummy product, not BPC-157 alone. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists 18 registered studies for thymosin beta 4. Intervention names included RGN-259 eye drops and recombinant human thymosin beta 4 (NL005) injection; 2 of the 18 were withdrawn and 2 were terminated. This search overlaps the TB-500 search. (Source: ClinicalTrials.gov registry search, November 9, 2026)

What people on Reddit report

Doctors on r/medicine and users on r/Biohackers discussing the gap between peptide claims and human trials. Some report personal results, some saw none, and others ask why trials have not been run.

OrganicBrilliant7995 · Biohackers

I had golfer's elbow for a year. 3 weeks into BPC/TB500 it was gone, and hasn't returned since. Maybe coincidence, but I know of 5 other people with tendonitis that quickly went away while on this.

Reports that long-running golfer's elbow cleared within weeks of starting two peptides together, and allows that it may be coincidence.

Read the source discussion

Soranos_71 · Biohackers

I have tendonitis, after a couple of months I tried a month of BPC alone it didn't a difference. I am trying the Wolverine blend and it's getting better but I have no direct control group to compare myself to so it might just be healing on its own....

Reports that a month of this peptide alone made no difference for tendonitis, and that a later blend seems to help but without a control group to compare against.

Read the source discussion

NotAnotherEmpire · Biohackers

I expect things claiming strong effects similar to known PEDs or GLP-1 to be able to pass clinical trials. You don't tend to have miraculous effects that only work sometimes.

Argues that a compound with effects as strong as users claim should be able to pass clinical trials.

Read the source discussion

Professional_Many_83 · medicine

It's not my place to make baseless claims on the efficacy and safety of substances with no data supporting efficacy or safety.

A commenter in a doctors' forum says clinicians should not make efficacy or safety claims for substances that have no supporting data.

Read the source discussion

NartFocker9Million · medicine

They can do potentially anything, good or bad. Each unique peptide would warrant its own clinical trials.

A commenter in a doctors' forum says peptides are not one thing, so each one needs its own trials.

Read the source discussion

OppleAndBonono · Biohackers

Studies are funded by big pharma and most of these cannot be licensed or patented, therefore there is no profit motive to conducting trials or studies.

Argues that trials are missing because many of these peptides cannot be patented, so no one has a profit motive to fund them.

Read the source discussion

BPC-157

  • A systematic review of English-language BPC-157 literature from an orthopaedic sports medicine perspective, searched from inception to June 3, 2024, identified 544 articles and included 36 studies: 35 preclinical studies and 1 clinical study. The literature it covers is almost all preclinical (animal and lab) work. (Source: HSS Journal, Vasireddi and colleagues, July 31, 2025)
  • A 2026 systematic review of human evidence for BPC-157 across all indications, with databases searched up to June 1, 2026, found 3 studies (n=30): a retrospective study of injections into the knee joint for knee pain (n=16), a retrospective pilot study of BPC-157 given into the bladder for interstitial cystitis (n=12) and a prospective pilot study of intravenous safety (n=2). It rated overall certainty of evidence as very low due to serious risk of bias, indirectness and imprecision. (Source: Acta Orthop Belg, Poolton, Minett and Kazmi, October 8, 2026)
  • In a human pilot study of 12 women aged 39 to 76 at a private clinic, with no control group and a self-rated outcome, complete resolution of symptoms after one treatment was reported in 10 of 12 patients with interstitial cystitis, who rated their success at 100%. (Source: Altern Ther Health Med, Lee, Walker and Ayadi, October 2024)
  • In a human pilot of intravenous BPC-157 in 2 healthy adults at a private clinic in Florida, USA, no adverse effects were reported and the infusion was described as well-tolerated. Both participants had received intravenous BPC-157 before the trial. (Source: Altern Ther Health Med, Lee and Burgess, September 2025)

Dr Jeffrey Peng on why the human evidence for BPC compounds falls short

Jeffrey Peng argues that the healing benefits attributed to this peptide come mainly from animal studies, and that human evidence is essentially missing. He points to a single small retrospective study of knee injections and says its improvements could simply reflect the passage of time, since many participants had sprains and tendon problems that heal on their own. He warns that marketing built on anecdotes can create a sense of effectiveness that clinical evidence does not support, and that safety, unregulated sourcing and anti-doping rules add further concern. For these reasons he says he does not recommend it, though he remains interested in future studies.

Who is speaking?

Jeffrey Peng. Medical doctor (MD), as named on the channel Jeffrey Peng MD Background

Episode notes and full video

Tesamorelin

  • The EGRIFTA SV label lists Initial U.S. Approval as 2010, for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adult patients with lipodystrophy. The same label states EGRIFTA SV is not indicated for weight loss management as it has a weight neutral effect. (Source: FDA label on DailyMed, EGRIFTA SV, revised March 2024)
  • Study 1 in the label randomized 412 HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy and excess abdominal fat to receive either EGRIFTA (N=273) or placebo (N=137). (Source: FDA label on DailyMed, EGRIFTA SV, revised March 2024)
  • In a randomized placebo-controlled trial of 404 HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat on antiretroviral therapy, visceral adipose tissue decreased by -10.9% (-21 cm²) in the tesamorelin group versus -0.6% (-1 cm²) in the placebo group in the 6-month efficacy phase, P < 0.0001. (Source: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, Falutz and colleagues, March 2010)
  • In the EGRIFTA trials in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, 5% of patients on EGRIFTA and 1% on placebo had elevated HbA1c (6.5% or higher) from baseline to Week 26. The label reports an increased risk of developing diabetes with EGRIFTA relative to placebo, with an intent-to-treat hazard odds ratio of 3.3 (CI 1.4, 9.6). (Source: FDA label on DailyMed, EGRIFTA SV, revised March 2024)

Sermorelin and other GHRH analogs

  • Two Geref (sermorelin acetate) injection applications held by EMD Serono were initially approved on September 26, 1997 (NDA 20-443) and December 28, 1990 (NDA 19-863). The 1997 approval was for idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children with growth failure. The same notice states FDA announced it was withdrawing approval of both applications effective June 18, 2009, and its title says Geref was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. (Source: FDA, Federal Register notice, March 4, 2013)
  • In an open-label study with no control group of 110 previously untreated prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency, mean height velocity on GHRH-(1-29) increased from 4.1 +/- 0.9 cm/yr at baseline to 8.0 +/- 1.5 cm/yr after 6 months and 7.2 +/- 1.3 cm/yr after 12 months. 86 of the 110 children were eligible for the efficacy analysis. This is a pediatric growth result, not an adult one. (Source: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Thorner and the Geref International Study Group, March 1996)
  • In a single-blind human study, 10 women and 9 men aged 55 to 71 self-injected placebo nightly for 4 weeks, followed by 16 weeks of the GHRH-(1-29) analog [Nle27]GHRH-(1-29)-NH2. This analog is closely related to sermorelin, but the abstract does not label it as sermorelin. (Source: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Khorram and colleagues, May 1997)

CJC-1295

  • In a paper reporting two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind ascending-dose trials (28 and 49 days) in healthy subjects aged 21 to 61, a single injection of CJC-1295 produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma growth hormone concentrations of 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more. The abstract does not state how many people took part, and the figures are hormone levels, not clinical outcomes. (Source: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Teichman and colleagues, March 2006)
  • In the same paper, mean plasma IGF-I concentrations rose by 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days after a single injection of CJC-1295. These are hormone levels, not clinical outcomes. (Source: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Teichman and colleagues, March 2006)

Ipamorelin

  • In a prospective, randomized, controlled human trial of intravenous ipamorelin versus placebo in adults after bowel resection, 117 patients were enrolled and 114 made up the safety and modified intent-to-treat populations. Median time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours with ipamorelin and 32.6 hours with placebo (p = 0.15). The authors reported no significant differences between ipamorelin and placebo in the key and secondary efficacy analyses. (Source: Int J Colorectal Dis, Beck and the Ipamorelin 201 Study Group, December 2014)
  • FDA added ipamorelin acetate to the 503B category 2 list on September 29, 2023, stating that compounded drugs containing it may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration due to the potential for aggregation or peptide-related impurities. The same page also lists ipamorelin acetate among substances nominated but withdrawn by the nominators. (Source: FDA, bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks, page current as of April 22, 2026)

Thymosin beta-4 and TB-500

  • In a randomized, placebo-controlled human safety study of synthetic thymosin beta-4 in healthy volunteers (the TB-500 fragment was not tested), four cohorts of 10 healthy subjects each were given a single intravenous dose of placebo or thymosin beta-4 at ascending doses. There were no dose limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. The study tested safety only, not efficacy. (Source: Ann N Y Acad Sci, Ruff and colleagues, April 2010)

KPV

Semax

  • A Russian-language paper examined 110 human patients after ischemic stroke (43 men, 67 women, mean age 58.0 years), divided into subgroups that did and did not receive semax. The English abstract does not say the study was randomized or blinded, and it gives no effect size. (Source: Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, Gusev and colleagues, 2018)

Sport bans

HealthRX.com in numbers

How these numbers were collected

Common questions

Is BPC-157 FDA approved?
The sources behind this page contain no FDA approval for BPC-157. They do contain 4 registered studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, none with posted results as of November 9, 2026, and a 2026 systematic review that found 3 human studies (n=30) and rated overall certainty of evidence as very low. The one FDA-labelled product in this set is tesamorelin (EGRIFTA SV), with Initial U.S. Approval in 2010. FDA records also show Geref (sermorelin acetate) approvals in 1990 and 1997, with approval withdrawn effective June 18, 2009. The notice's title says Geref was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness.
Is BPC-157 banned by WADA?
The WADA 2026 Prohibited List, effective January 1, 2026, names BPC-157 in section S0 (non-approved substances), which is prohibited at all times, in and out of competition.
Is TB-500 the same as thymosin beta-4?
No. WADA lists TB-500 as a derivative of thymosin beta-4. The human safety study on this page (four cohorts of 10 healthy subjects each) used synthetic thymosin beta-4, not TB-500. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered study for TB-500 and 18 for thymosin beta 4, and those two searches overlap.
What is KPV peptide used for?
The sources on this page contain no human study of KPV. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 0 registered studies under the name KPV, and FDA states it has not identified any human exposure data on drug products containing KPV. The published findings are animal findings: significant anti-inflammatory effects in 2 murine models of colitis (mouse).
Is CJC-1295 with ipamorelin better than tesamorelin?
The numbers on this page describe each peptide separately and do not rank them. Tesamorelin has an FDA label for excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, and Study 1 in its label randomized 412 patients. CJC-1295 has 1 registered study, terminated, with enrollment of 120. In the ipamorelin trial of 117 enrolled patients after bowel resection, median time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours with ipamorelin and 32.6 hours with placebo (p = 0.15), with no significant differences from placebo. These studies looked at different conditions, so the results are not comparable.

Questions worth asking

Choose the questions you want to keep

What people actually ask

Are there any clinical trials with BPC-157?

Yes, but few. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered BPC-157 studies, none with posted results, and one tests a combination gummy product rather than BPC-157 alone. A 2026 systematic review found 3 human studies (n=30) and rated the overall certainty of evidence as very low.

Which peptides are approved by the FDA?

Tesamorelin (EGRIFTA SV) is the one peptide in this set with a current FDA label, for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adult patients with lipodystrophy. The label states it is not indicated for weight loss management. Geref (sermorelin acetate) was approved in 1990 and 1997, but FDA withdrew both approvals effective June 18, 2009.

Do HGH peptides actually work?

The human studies here mostly measure hormone levels, not clinical outcomes. A single CJC-1295 injection raised mean plasma growth hormone concentrations 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more in healthy subjects. In a 117-patient trial of intravenous ipamorelin after bowel resection, the key efficacy analyses showed no significant differences from placebo.

References

Evidence overview for Peptide statistics 2026: what the human studies actually show