Frequently asked questions

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Chains under roughly 50 amino acids are usually called peptides; longer ones are proteins. Many hormones are peptides, including insulin, oxytocin and GLP-1.

Peptides typically work by binding a specific receptor on a cell and switching on a signaling pathway, which is why small changes to their sequence can change what they do.

Steroids are fat-based molecules built on a four-ring carbon skeleton, such as testosterone or cortisol, and they act mostly on receptors inside cells. Peptides are chains of amino acids that mostly act on receptors on the cell surface. They are different classes of molecule with different chemistry, stability and handling.

It means a product is sold for laboratory, in vitro or analytical work and not for use in people or animals. Research-grade material is not made under drug manufacturing rules and has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, quality or effectiveness in humans. A research-grade vial of a compound is not the same product as an approved medicine with the same name.

It depends on the peptide and how it is sold. Some, such as tirzepatide, tesamorelin and bremelanotide, are FDA-approved prescription drugs. Others can only be sold as research chemicals. Compounding pharmacies may use a bulk substance only if it meets FDA requirements, and in 2023 the FDA flagged many popular research peptides, including BPC-157, as raising potential safety concerns for compounding.

On October 28, 2026, HHS announced an interim policy under which it does not intend to act against 503A pharmacies, federal facilities and licensed physicians that compound six peptides (BPC-157, Epithalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500) under strict conditions. It does not approve any product, does not add the six to the bulks list, and does not change the status of research-grade material.

This page describes the situation as of October 31, 2026 and is not legal advice.

On July 23 and 24, 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed seven peptides. It voted to recommend six for the list of bulk substances that pharmacies may compound: BPC-157, KPV and TB-500 (each 8 to 6), MOTS-c (7 to 5), Semax and Epithalon. It voted 7 to 6 against DSIP (emideltide).

The votes were advisory, and FDA staff had recommended against all seven. On October 28, 2026, HHS responded with an interim enforcement discretion policy for the six recommended peptides, limited to 503A compounding under strict conditions. Adding any of them to the bulks list would still take formal rulemaking. DSIP is not covered.

You can't without knowing the concentration. Milligrams measure mass and milliliters measure volume. Once you add a known volume of water to a known amount of powder, concentration = (mg × 1,000) ÷ mL gives mcg per mL, and volume = desired mcg ÷ concentration. The calculator does this for you.

Insulin syringes were designed for U-100 insulin, where 100 units fill 1 mL. That makes each unit 0.01 mL. The 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 mL sizes all use the same scale; only the barrel length differs. Smaller barrels have wider spacing between marks, which makes small volumes easier to read.

Sealed, dry and away from light. Common laboratory practice is a freezer at about -20 °C for long-term storage, or 2 to 8 °C for shorter periods. Once reconstituted, keep the vial refrigerated, avoid freezing and thawing it repeatedly and use clean technique for every draw. Always defer to the supplier's label.

Most peptide solutions should be clear and colorless; GHK-Cu blends are blue from the copper. Cloudiness, floating particles or an unexpected color can mean the powder has not fully dissolved, has degraded or is contaminated. Gently swirl rather than shake, and do not use a solution that stays cloudy.

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a lab report for a specific batch. A useful peptide COA shows identity by mass spectrometry, purity by HPLC, the batch or lot number and the testing lab's name. Check that the lot number on the COA matches your vial, and look for net peptide content when you need exact concentrations.

Many are not. The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits BPC-157, thymosin beta-4 and its fragments, growth hormone secretagogues such as ipamorelin and GHRH analogs such as CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin, among others. Athletes subject to testing should check the current WADA Prohibited List.

No. Briefs describe what a compound is, how it is thought to work, what research shows and how it is handled. The calculator only converts units. Approved medicines should be used as prescribed by a licensed clinician.