What “peptide” tells you, and what it leaves out

Start with the exact product

• Ask what the ingredient is

  A peptide forms a short chain made from amino acids, the small units that make up proteins.

• Ask what kind of product it is

  “Peptide” describes a substance, not whether a product meets US drug rules.

• Ask whether it is a pill or an injection

  Write down the ingredient name and how the medicine is taken.

Approved medicine, custom-made medicine or research product?

FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration, the US agency that reviews medicines.

An approved medicine

Ozempic and Wegovy are FDA-approved medicines containing semaglutide; Mounjaro and Zepbound have FDA approval and contain tirzepatide.

A custom-made medicine

Compounding involves preparing or mixing a medicine for a patient’s particular needs.

A compounded product does not get FDA approval or a pre-sale FDA check of its quality, benefits or harms.

A product marked “research use only”

Some sellers mark their products “research use only”. Others mark them “not for human consumption”. In warning letters, FDA said some sellers were still offering these products to treat people. FDA alleged that those sales broke federal rules because the drugs lacked approval.

What a care offer needs to explain

• The health concern

  What will the person treating me find out about my health, beyond which peptide I asked for?

• The choice of medicine

  Why this medicine and this way of taking it, rather than another approach?

• The follow-up plan

  Who answers questions after the visit, and how will the plan be reviewed?