Summary
Adipotide is an experimental peptidomimetic (a lab-made, peptide-like molecule) that targets prohibitin, a protein on the blood vessels of white fat, and makes those vessel cells die, starving the fat tissue. It reversed obesity in mice in 2004 and produced about 11% body weight loss with improved insulin resistance in obese rhesus monkeys over 4 weeks in 2011, but caused kidney injury that limited the dose. A phase 1 trial (a first, small safety study in people) in men with prostate cancer was started and no human results have been published, so the evidence is animal-only, and it has no approval anywhere and no legal route to be compounded (custom-made by a pharmacy).
What is Adipotide?
Adipotide is a synthetic peptidomimetic: a fat vasculature homing sequence fused to a proapoptotic D amino acid peptide. It is also known as Prohibitin-TP01, FTPP, Fat targeted proapoptotic peptide, CKGGRAKDC-GG-D(KLAKLAK)2.
How does it work?
The CKGGRAKDC homing motif binds prohibitin, a protein exposed on endothelial cells of white adipose tissue vasculature. The fused D(KLAKLAK)2 sequence disrupts mitochondrial membranes once internalized, causing apoptosis of those endothelial cells. Loss of blood supply leads to fat cell death and resorption, with a secondary reduction in food intake reported in monkeys. Prohibitin is also present in kidney, which is thought to explain the renal toxicity.
| Cluster | Metabolic and growth hormone axis |
|---|---|
| Routes | Subcutaneous injection (animal studies and as sold) |
| Conditions studied | Obesity and chronic weight management; Fat loss and body composition |
| Record | v2, draft, verified Sep 22, 2026 |
What does the evidence say about Adipotide?
Two landmark animal studies. Kolonin 2004 (Nat Med) showed targeted ablation of white fat vasculature reversed diet induced obesity in mice. Barnhart 2011 (Sci Transl Med) treated obese rhesus monkeys for 4 weeks and found about 11% body weight loss, a 38% reduction in abdominal fat by imaging, and improved insulin resistance, with reversible dose dependent kidney tubular injury. No human data have been published.
| Evidence type | Indexed studies | Participants (human) |
|---|---|---|
| Human randomized trials | 0 | n/a |
| Human observational studies | 0 | n/a |
| Animal studies | 2 | n/a |
| All indexed studies | 2 | n/a |
Human evidence
No indexed human study identified. A phase 1 dose escalation study in men with prostate cancer and obesity was registered at a US cancer center around 2011 to evaluate safety; results have not been published as of the last verification date.
Animal evidence
Kolonin 2004: daily subcutaneous injection in diet induced obese mice ablated white fat vasculature, caused rapid weight loss, and reversed obesity with normalization of metabolic markers. Barnhart 2011: 10 obese rhesus monkeys received daily subcutaneous injections for 28 days and lost a mean 11% of body weight (versus 1.5% in lean controls), with a 27% reduction in body mass index, 38% reduction in abdominal fat, improved insulin sensitivity by clamp, and reduced food intake; renal tubular effects were dose dependent and reversible in the monkeys but flagged as the main safety concern.
Key studies
| Study | Design and population | Outcome | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reversal of obesity by targeted ablation of adipose tissue2004 PMID 15133506 | Mouse diet induced obesity model with daily subcutaneous peptideDiet induced obese mice | Ablation of white fat vasculature caused rapid weight loss and reversed obesity | Evidence: Animal-only evidence |
| A peptidomimetic targeting white fat causes weight loss and improved insulin resistance in obese monkeys2011 PMID 22072637 | Non human primate treatment study, 28 daysn = 10 Spontaneously obese rhesus monkeys | About 11% body weight loss, 38% reduction in abdominal fat, improved insulin sensitivity; reversible dose dependent renal tubular toxicity | Evidence: Animal-only evidence |
Conditions studied
| Condition | Grade | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Obesity and chronic weight management | Not graded | GLP-1 based peptides are the only peptides with large randomized trials for weight loss. Semaglutide 2.4 mg produced 14.9% mean weight loss over 68 weeks and tirzepatide 15 mg produced 20.9% over 72 weeks. Retatrutide, cagrilintide, and survodutide are in late stage trials. |
| Fat loss and body composition | Evidence: Animal-only evidence | Produced about 11% weight loss in obese monkeys with reversible kidney toxicity; no human efficacy data. |
Is Adipotide legal in the United States?
FDA and compounding status
Not FDA approved and not on any FDA compounding list as of the pages current to April 2026. Adipotide has never been nominated for the 503A bulks list and has no USP monograph, so no compounding pharmacy has a lawful basis to dispense it. It remains an investigational compound with unpublished phase 1 results.
WADA status
WADA prohibited. Athletes subject to anti-doping testing should treat this as prohibited at all times unless the current prohibited list says otherwise.
Regulatory timeline
No regulatory events recorded.
What published studies of Adipotide used
Ranges below are reported from published studies and labeling only. PeptideAgent does not recommend doses or protocols.
Not established in human literature. Monkeys received about 0.43 mg/kg subcutaneously daily for 28 days; mice received daily subcutaneous doses in the milligram per kilogram range. These animal doses do not translate to a human regimen and no human dose has been published.
Routes reported
| # | Route |
|---|---|
| 1 | Subcutaneous injection (animal studies and as sold) |
What are the side effects and interactions of Adipotide?
Side effects
| # | Reported side effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kidney injury (dose dependent renal tubular damage in monkeys, the dose limiting toxicity) |
| 2 | Dehydration and reduced food intake in monkeys |
| 3 | No human safety data published |
| 4 | Injection site reactions reported anecdotally |
Interactions
| # | Interaction |
|---|---|
| 1 | No human interaction data exist |
| 2 | Theoretical additive kidney risk with NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, and other nephrotoxic drugs based on monkey toxicity |
Contraindications
| # | Contraindication |
|---|---|
| 1 | Any kidney disease or reduced kidney function |
| 2 | Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no data) |
| 3 | Athletes subject to WADA testing (prohibited at all times under S0) |
| 4 | Any use requiring an approved product: none exists |
How do people access Adipotide legally?
Typical cost: Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.
Verified access options
Step 1
No lawful United States access path identified on the last verified date outside a registered clinical trial. Clinical development stopped after phase 1.
Step 2
Not available as an FDA approved product and not eligible for compounding under section 503A or 503B.
Step 3
Products labeled research use only are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.
Access paths are verified against public regulatory records and prescriber licensing. We never list unlicensed vendors.
What's actually offered, and what that means for you
Licensed compounding pharmacies, clinics, and telehealth prescribers openly offer many unapproved peptides, and prescribers write prescriptions for them. That does not make adipotide lawful. Adipotide is not FDA approved and not on the 503A bulks list, so a pharmacy has no lawful basis to compound it. [3] [4]
Enforcement is uneven. FDA mostly acts through warning letters to compounders and online sellers, Category 2 safety listings, and import alerts that let it detain shipments, rather than stopping every pharmacy. State pharmacy boards oversee pharmacies day to day, and their rules differ. [4] [6] [7] [8] [9]
What changes for you
- No FDA review of the product: FDA does not check a compounded drug's safety, effectiveness, or quality before it is sold. [9]
- Identity, purity, sterility, and dose accuracy can vary from batch to batch. [4]
- Insurance rarely covers it, so you usually pay cash.
- For tested athletes, adipotide is prohibited at all times on the WADA list, whatever the source. [5]
What to check
These checks lower some risks, but they do not make an unlawfully compounded product lawful or safe. Check for:
- A 503A pharmacy licensed in your state (your state board of pharmacy publishes license lookups). [9]
- A real evaluation by a licensed prescriber, not just an online form.
- A certificate of analysis for the specific batch.
Frequently asked questions
Is adipotide legal in the United States?
It is not FDA approved, has never been nominated for the 503A bulks list (FDA's list of raw ingredients pharmacies may use to compound drugs for individual patients), and has no USP monograph (an official drug quality standard), so no pharmacy can lawfully compound it. It has not gone through FDA's Category 2 review (FDA's safety screen of nominated compounding ingredients) because nobody has nominated it. Possession is not a crime, but research chemical products are not for human use. [3] [4]
Does adipotide work for weight loss?
In animals, dramatically: obese mice reversed their obesity, and obese rhesus monkeys lost about 11% of body weight and 38% of abdominal fat in 4 weeks with improved insulin sensitivity. In humans nobody knows, because the only human trial (a phase 1 safety study in prostate cancer patients) has not published results. The monkey study also showed kidney toxicity, which is why development has been slow. [1] [2]
What are the side effects of adipotide?
The known problem is kidney damage: in monkeys, adipotide caused dose dependent injury to the renal tubules that was reversible after stopping, and this was the dose limiting toxicity. Monkeys also ate less and needed hydration monitoring. There are no human safety data. [2]
How is adipotide taken?
In animal studies it was a daily subcutaneous injection: about 0.43 mg/kg for 28 days in monkeys. Products sold online are subcutaneous injection vials. No human dose has been established. [1] [2]
How much does adipotide cost?
There is no licensed price. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. [3]
Is adipotide banned by WADA?
It is not named on the list, but section S0 of the WADA Prohibited List prohibits at all times any substance with no current approval by any governmental health authority for human use. Adipotide has no approval anywhere, so it is prohibited under S0. [5]
Adipotide vs semaglutide: how do they compare?
Semaglutide is FDA approved with about 15% weight loss at 68 weeks in a 1,961 person trial and proven heart benefit. Adipotide has a 10 monkey study, no published human data, and kidney toxicity as its main signal. They also work in opposite ways: semaglutide reduces appetite through a gut hormone receptor, adipotide destroys the blood supply of fat tissue. Only one of them is a treatment option. [2]
Decisions about starting, stopping, or combining any treatment belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
From the blog
- Peptides for weight loss, ranked by human evidence
Tirzepatide, semaglutide, and liraglutide lead on human trials. Retatrutide is trial-only, and AOD-9604 and 5-amino-1MQ are animal-only. Ranking, legal status, and dated prices.
Sources
Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.
- [1]Kolonin MG et al. Reversal of obesity by targeted ablation of adipose tissue. Nat Med 2004PubMed 15133506, 2004
- [2]Barnhart KF et al. A peptidomimetic targeting white fat causes weight loss and improved insulin resistance in obese monkeys. Sci Transl Med 2011PubMed 22072637, 2011
- [3]FDA: Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A of the FD&C ActFDA, 2026
- [4]FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding may present significant safety risks (Category 2 list, content current as of April 22, 2026)FDA, 2026
- [5]WADA Prohibited List, section S0 non-approved substancesWADA, 2026
- [6]FDA: Compounding inspections, recalls, and other actions (warning letters to compounders)FDA
- [7]FDA warning letters database: July 30, 2019 letter to a 503A pharmacy that compounded BPC-157 acetate outside section 503AFDA, 2019
- [8]FDA Import Alert 66-41: Detention without physical examination of unapproved new drugs promoted in the U.S. (includes peptide entries)FDA
- [9]FDA: Compounding and the FDA, questions and answersFDA
Cite this page
Free to cite and quote with a link. Data is licensed CC BY 4.0 with attribution to PeptideAgent.
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PeptideAgent. (2026, September 22). Adipotide: evidence, legality, and access. https://peptideagent.ai/peptides/adipotide- HTML link
<a href="https://peptideagent.ai/peptides/adipotide">Adipotide: evidence, legality, and access</a>, PeptideAgent, updated September 22, 2026.