A curated peptide research reading list
Where to start, what to read next, and how to tell good evidence from noise — organized by topic.
Get the PepSense Brief — plain-English digests of what the research says.
Getting Started
New to peptides? Start here. These primers explain what peptides actually are, how the evidence is graded, and how the U.S. regulatory system decides what a compounding pharmacy may legally make — the foundation you need before reading anything else.
What is a peptide, really?
A plain-English primer on peptides as short chains of amino acids, how they differ from small-molecule drugs and full proteins, and why the category ranges from FDA-approved medicines to research-use-only compounds.
Preclinical vs. clinical: reading the evidence
The single most important distinction in this field. Learn why in-vitro and animal findings do not translate to humans, and how we label each claim as preclinical, human clinical trial, or FDA-approved.
How the compounding system works
An overview of 503A compounding pharmacies, the Bulks List, and what Category 1 (may compound with a prescription) versus Category 2 (may not, pending review) actually means for availability.
Browse the compound library
Once the basics click, explore 200+ profiled compounds with mechanism, research history, and current regulatory status for each — every entry source-cited.
Compound Deep Dives
In-depth, source-cited profiles of the most-researched individual compounds — mechanism of action, what the published literature has examined, half-life, honest confidence ratings, and where each stands with the FDA. All framing reflects research findings, not usage guidance.
BPC-157 profile
The pentadecapeptide most studied in tissue-repair models. What 240+ preclinical studies have examined in tendon, gut, and wound-healing research, plus its Category 2 status on the July 2026 PCAC docket.
TB-500 (thymosin beta-4 fragment)
A cell-migration research fragment examined in preclinical models for its role in actin regulation. Currently unscheduled research-use-only and also on the July 2026 PCAC docket.
The GLP-1 compounds: semaglutide & tirzepatide
The FDA-approved, finished-drug end of the field. How these approved peptides work in metabolic research and why they sit entirely outside the compounding-bulks conversation.
Longevity peptides: epitalon & MOTS-c
Two compounds on the July 2026 docket examined in aging and mitochondrial-signaling research. A look at the preclinical literature and the gap between it and human evidence.
Regulatory
The FDA process, explained without the jargon. These resources break down the July 23–24, 2026 PCAC meeting, what a non-binding vote does and does not change, and the realistic multi-year path from a favorable recommendation to legal compounding availability.
The PCAC July 2026 docket, explained
The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee votes on seven peptides — BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-c, emideltide, epitalon, and semax — on whether to recommend them for the 503A Bulks List. Track every signal live.
Why a 'yes' vote changes nothing overnight
The PCAC vote is non-binding and roughly step 2 of about six in FDA rulemaking. Even a unanimous recommendation leaves a realistic 12 to 18 months minimum before any legal compounding availability.
Category 1 vs. Category 2, defined
What it means for a compound to move from Category 2 (may not be compounded, insufficient safety data) toward Category 1 (compoundable with a prescription) — and which of the seven are candidates.
What comes after July: the February 2027 batch
A second PCAC batch of five additional compounds is expected in February 2027. How the review pipeline is structured and what to watch for next.
Safety
How to think critically about sources, claims, and quality documentation. These guides help you evaluate what you read elsewhere — separating cited evidence from marketing, and understanding what a Certificate of Analysis can and cannot tell you. Educational only; nothing here is medical advice.
How to evaluate a source
A checklist for judging peptide claims: Is it in-vitro, animal, or human data? Is the study cited and peer-reviewed? Does the claim outrun the evidence? Learn to spot hype and bro-science.
Understanding a Certificate of Analysis (COA)
What a COA reports — identity, purity, and testing method — and its limits. Why a COA speaks to a sample's composition, not to whether a compound is legal, approved, or studied in humans.
Why we never recommend human use
Our editorial standard, in plain terms. PepSense is a research and education platform — not a vendor, pharmacy, or medical service. Every answer describes what studies found, never what you should do.
How our answer engine cites its sources
A behind-the-scenes look at how every answer traces back to specific studies across 300,000+ published papers, so you can verify claims rather than take them on trust.