Our main compounds page covers 18 of the most commonly discussed research peptides. These 10 come up almost as often in forums and vendor listings — here’s the same plain-English, zero-dosing treatment for each.
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Get my free report + free book →The main compounds page covers the 18 peptides people ask about most. These 10 are a tier down in search frequency but still come up constantly — often because they get lumped into the same conversations as the first 18, or because they're newer to general awareness. Same rules apply: no dosing information, no protocol suggestions, and a plain note on what's actually been studied versus what's mostly marketing claim.
| Compound | Category | What it actually is | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAD+ | Metabolic / cellular | A coenzyme (not technically a peptide, but sold and discussed alongside them) central to cellular energy metabolism and DNA repair signaling. | Extensive basic-science literature on NAD+ biology; human trial data on supplementation for specific outcomes is much thinner than the marketing around it suggests. |
| Kisspeptin | Reproductive / hormonal | A neuropeptide that regulates the reproductive hormone axis (GnRH release). | Genuine, active clinical research area, particularly in reproductive endocrinology — one of the better-evidenced compounds on this extended list. |
| Oxytocin | Neuropeptide | A naturally occurring hormone/neuropeptide with an FDA-approved use in obstetrics (labor induction) and separate research interest in social/behavioral effects. | The approved obstetric use is well established. The social-behavioral research (sometimes called the "bonding hormone" in pop coverage) is a genuinely active but far less settled research area. |
| MOTS-c | Metabolic / mitochondrial | A mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for its role in metabolic regulation. | Early-stage; mostly animal and cell-culture research. Frequently overstated in vendor marketing relative to what's been shown in humans. |
| AOD-9604 | Metabolic | A modified fragment of human growth hormone, studied for a specific metabolic mechanism distinct from GH's growth effects. | Underwent early human trials for one specific indication (weight management) that did not lead to approval; research-use-only status since. |
| Retatrutide | Metabolic (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) | A triple-hormone-receptor agonist in the same drug class as semaglutide and tirzepatide, currently in late-stage clinical trials. | Strong, active Phase 3 trial data as of this writing — not yet FDA-approved, which is the key distinction from semaglutide/tirzepatide. |
| SS-31 (elamipretide) | Mitochondrial | A mitochondria-targeted peptide studied for cellular energy and oxidative-stress pathways. | Has been through human clinical trials for specific rare-disease indications; general "anti-aging" use is well outside what's actually been studied. |
| LL-37 | Immune / antimicrobial | A naturally occurring human antimicrobial peptide, part of the innate immune system. | Extensive basic immunology research; therapeutic-use research is earlier-stage and mostly preclinical. |
| Cerebrolysin | Neurological | A peptide mixture derived from porcine brain tissue, studied in some countries for neurological conditions. | Approved and used clinically in a handful of countries outside the US; not FDA-approved, and the evidence base is considered weaker by US regulatory standards than by the standards where it's approved. |
| Pinealon | Neurological / bioregulator | A short synthetic peptide from the "peptide bioregulator" research tradition (same broad category as Epitalon). | Almost entirely early-stage and non-US research; very little independent replication in the Western scientific literature. |
Look across this list and a pattern shows up repeatedly: a compound with a narrow, specific, well-studied original purpose (oxytocin for labor induction, AOD-9604's original metabolic trial, SS-31's rare-disease trials) gets picked up by wellness marketing and generalized into a much broader claim than the original research supports. That gap — between what was actually studied and what gets implied — is the single most useful thing to watch for across this entire space. See our myths and misconceptions page for more on this pattern.
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