Dossier — Peptides
Peptides:
two worlds not to be confused
A peptide is a short chain of amino acids carrying a biological message. The word covers two opposite realities.
Peptide medicines
- Insulin, semaglutide, tirzepatide
- Phase III trials, EMA and FDA clearance
- Prescribed, with medical follow-up
“Research” peptides
- BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295
- No authorisation, no purity control
- Sale for human use unlawful in Europe
Written and reviewed by Catherine Piault, naturopath · Last reviewed:
Map of the dossier
Tap a dot to open the exploration.
How do approved GLP-1 peptides work?
A hormone your body already makes, and the medicines that copy it.
How GLP-1 works
The satiety hormone your gut makes after every meal — and what naturally amplifies it.
Read→
02Semaglutide, tirzepatide: what the science says
Mechanism, approved indications, STEP and SURMOUNT trial results.
Read→
Detailed comparison with berberine: Ozempic versus berberine, in the Weight dossier.
Are research peptides safe and legal?
What the literature actually shows, and why the unregulated market is the real problem.
Health warning
So-called research peptides (BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, TB-500) are not authorised for human use in Europe or the United States. This path is strictly documentary: it is not an encouragement to use, not a protocol, and not medical advice.
Four related explorations
Food, brain, mitochondria: peptides beyond the medicine.
Living foods and peptides
The bioactive peptides fermentation makes.
Read→
What your plate does that Ozempic doesn't
Seven foods that stimulate natural GLP-1.
Read→
GLP-1 and the brain: beyond weight
Alcohol, nicotine, depression: the reward circuits.
Read→
Peptides and mitochondria
MOTS-c, humanin, SS-31: the language of cellular energy.
Read→
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a peptide medicine and a wellness peptide?
The difference is not the molecule but the regulatory road. A peptide medicine such as semaglutide has passed phase III clinical trials, obtained EMA and FDA marketing authorisation, is manufactured under pharmaceutical control and prescribed with follow-up. A wellness peptide such as BPC-157 has passed none of these stages and is sold online under a “research use only” label.
Are all peptides banned?
No. Several peptides are long-authorised, prescribed medicines: insulin, GLP-1 analogues (semaglutide, liraglutide), tirzepatide. It is the so-called research peptides, sold without marketing authorisation or purity control, whose sale for human use is unlawful in Europe.
Can you raise your own peptides naturally?
For some of them, yes. Endogenous GLP-1, for instance, is secreted by the gut in response to fibre, protein, short-chain fatty acids produced by the microbiota and certain fermented foods. This does not reproduce the pharmacological effect of an injectable analogue, but it acts on the same physiological circuit.
Scientific sources and monthly watch
Peptides watch — monthly update
This dossier is reviewed monthly. Monitored each month: PubMed-indexed publications on the peptides covered, EMA and FDA communications (alerts, withdrawals, new authorisations), updates to the WADA prohibited list, and ANSM notices on products sold online. Any new data that changes a conclusion is folded into the text and added to the sources.
Last review: · Next review due:
Sources
- Wilding JPH et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine, 2021;384:989-1002. — DOI : 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
- Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). New England Journal of Medicine, 2022;387:205-216. — DOI : 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
- European Medicines Agency — Wegovy (semaglutide), European public assessment report.
- European Medicines Agency — Mounjaro (tirzepatide), European public assessment report.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding: category 2 listing (includes BPC-157).
- World Anti-Doping Agency — The Prohibited List: S2 Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors and Related Substances.
- European Medicines Agency — Register of authorised medicines (no marketing authorisation exists for BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin or TB-500).
- PubMed — published literature on BPC-157 (predominantly rodent and in vitro studies).
- PubMed — published literature on thymosin beta-4 / TB-500 in humans.
- ClinicalTrials.gov — registered interventional trials mentioning BPC-157.
Written and reviewed by Catherine Piault, naturopath · Last reviewed: