Evidence methodology
Every grade, status, and dosing range on this site is derived by the rules below, from the primary sources named below. If a page does not follow these rules, that is a correction we want to hear about.
By the PeptideAgent Editorial Team. Editorial review in progress: 0 of 82 peptide records reviewed; unreviewed records are labeled draft on the page. Rules current as of 2026-09-27.
How is the evidence grade assigned?
Each peptide carries one overall evidence grade that describes the best available human evidence for its most studied use. The grade reflects study design, not effect size, and it never rises on the strength of anecdote, marketing, or mechanism. A peptide with striking rodent data and no human trial is animal-only, no matter how many clinics sell it.
Individual studies in each evidence table carry their own grade, and each condition link on a peptide page carries a grade specific to that condition. The overall grade reflects the best indexed human evidence for the use the peptide is marketed or prescribed for. Studies of a different route or indication (for example an intravenous surgical trial of a peptide sold for subcutaneous injection, or an eye drop trial of a peptide sold for injury) are listed in the evidence table but do not raise the grade, and the evidence summary says so whenever that rule applies.
| Grade | Requires | Does not count |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence: Human RCT evidence | At least one indexed randomized controlled trial in humans with a PubMed record, or an FDA approval whose label cites controlled trials. | Open-label extensions, single-arm studies, or trials published only as abstracts or preprints. |
| Evidence: Human observational evidence | Indexed human data without randomization: cohort, case-control, single-arm, case series, or pharmacokinetic studies with a PubMed record. | Unpublished pilot work, conference posters, and company press releases. |
| Evidence: Animal-only evidence | Indexed in vivo animal studies (or in vitro work) and no indexed human study of any design. | Human anecdote, forum reports, and clinic testimonials, which do not raise the grade. |
| Evidence: Anecdotal evidence only | Only case reports, user reports, or clinician commentary without an indexed controlled or observational study. | Any indexed study in humans or animals. |
| Evidence: No published evidence | No indexed human or animal study identified in PubMed for the compound or the claimed use. | Everything above. |
A record may list a study graded higher than the record itself when that study covers a different route or indication than the marketed use; the study still counts in the study table but does not raise the grade.
Indexed means the study has a PubMed record. PubMed links always use the form https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/<pmid>/. We never cite a PMID we have not opened; when the exact record is uncertain, we cite a review with a verified PMID or lower the grade and say that no indexed human trial was identified.
How is regulatory status determined?
Regulatory status describes the United States federal position on the peptide as a compounded or approved drug on the date the record was last verified. It is read from primary FDA and Federal Register documents only; press coverage, clinic claims, and vendor pages are never a source. State board positions vary and are noted in the compounding text rather than in the badge.
| Status | Meaning and required source |
|---|---|
| Regulatory: FDA approved | An FDA-approved drug product containing the peptide exists. Source: the FDA label or Drugs@FDA entry. |
| Regulatory: 503A bulks list | Named on the FDA 503A bulk drug substances list (Category 1, or a final rule adding it). Source: the FDA 503A bulks page or the Federal Register final rule. |
| Regulatory: Under FDA review | Nominated for the 503A bulks list and pending, or scheduled for a Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee vote. Source: the FDA PCAC meeting materials or nomination docket. |
| Regulatory: Removed from Category 2 (Apr 2026) | Removed from the FDA 503A Category 2 list (substances with significant safety risks) but not yet placed on the bulks list. Source: the FDA announcement of the removal. |
| Regulatory: Not eligible for compounding | Placed in Category 2, or otherwise ruled ineligible for compounding under 503A or 503B. Source: the FDA category list or a Federal Register notice. |
| Regulatory: Unscheduled | No FDA action on record either way, and not a controlled substance. The peptide is neither approved nor listed nor formally excluded. |
| Regulatory: Regulatory status unknown | We could not verify the status against a primary FDA or Federal Register document on the last verification date. |
Every status change is also recorded as a dated event in the regulatory tracker, linked to the document that caused it. The tracker is updated within 24 hours of a Federal Register, FDA, PCAC, or state board action.
How is WADA status determined?
WADA status is read from the current World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list and its published explanatory notes. Many peptides are prohibited by class (for example S2 peptide hormones and growth factors, or S0 non-approved substances) rather than by name, so the status also records when the class rule applies.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WADA: WADA prohibited | Named on the list, or covered by a class rule that applies at all times or in competition. |
| WADA: Not WADA prohibited | Not named and not covered by a class rule on the current list. |
| WADA: WADA status unclear | Not named, and whether a class rule applies is not settled in the published guidance. |
Where do the dosing ranges come from?
Dosing text reports what the cited literature or an FDA label used, with the route and population, and nothing else. If no human study reports a dose, the page says so and reports animal ranges only with an explicit note that they do not translate to a human dose.
- FDA-approved products: the labeled dose from the prescribing information.
- Unapproved peptides with human trials: the doses used in the indexed trials, with study design and sample size.
- Animal-only peptides: the animal ranges with species and route, labeled as not established in human literature.
PeptideAgent does not publish protocols, cycles, stacks, or recommended doses, and the agent refuses dosing questions that go beyond the literature text. This is a safety rule, not a gap in coverage.
What counts as a source?
Every medical claim on the site, including each FAQ answer, cites at least one numbered primary source. Accepted source types, in order of preference:
- PubMed-indexed studies and systematic reviews.
- FDA documents: labels, Drugs@FDA, 503A and 503B lists, PCAC meeting materials, warning letters.
- Federal Register notices and final rules.
- The WADA prohibited list and its explanatory notes.
- Other primary records (state board rules, court filings) when no federal document exists.
Secondary sources such as news coverage, blogs, forums, vendor pages, and clinic marketing are never cited for a medical or regulatory claim.
What do draft and reviewed mean?
Every record has a review state shown in its byline. Records are editorially reviewed, not clinically reviewed: the reviewer checks each claim against its cited source, but the site is not a substitute for a licensed provider.
| State | Meaning | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Draft, pending editorial review | Written and schema-validated, with every claim cited, but not yet checked line by line against sources by a second editor. Published so the regulatory and sourcing data are available, and labeled so readers can weigh it. | 82 |
| Editorially reviewed, not clinically reviewed | A second editor has opened every cited source and confirmed that the claim, the grade, and the status match it. The last verified date is the date of that check. | 0 |
Records are re-verified whenever a regulatory event names the peptide, and otherwise on a rolling schedule. The last verified date on each page is the date of the most recent check, not the date the page was generated.
How are corrections handled?
- Send the page URL, the claim, and the source that contradicts it to hello@peptideagent.ai.
- An editor checks the cited source against the reported one. A correction is accepted only when a primary source supports it.
- The record is updated, its version number increments, and the last verified date is reset. Material corrections to a grade or status are also logged as a note on the affected page.
We aim to acknowledge reports within two business days and to resolve regulatory corrections within 24 hours of confirmation.
What keeps the grading independent?
- PeptideAgent has no affiliate relationships with research-use-only vendors and does not link to them.
- Sponsored placements, if ever shown, are labeled and rendered in a distinct style; they never affect a grade, a status, or the order of results.
- The author of every page is the organization. There are no individual bylines, so no page rests on personal authority rather than cited evidence.
Read more on the about page and the disclaimer.