Encyclopedia entry

What is peptide therapy?

"Peptide therapy" is a marketing term, used mainly by private clinics, for treatments involving peptide compounds. In practice it most often refers to injectable research peptides such as BPC-157, ipamorelin or CJC-1295. It is not a single, defined medical treatment, and for most of these peptides there is no UK marketing authorisation for human therapeutic use. The licensed prescription peptides people also encounter, the GLP-1 weight-loss medications, are a separate and regulated category.

What the term covers

There is no official definition of "peptide therapy". Clinics use it as an umbrella for a range of peptide compounds marketed around recovery, growth-hormone support, skin and anti-ageing. Because the term is loose, two people using it can mean very different things, from a licensed prescription medicine to a research-use-only compound.

The categories of peptide people mean

• · GLP-1 prescription medicines (semaglutide, tirzepatide): MHRA-licensed, prescription only, used for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
• · Research peptides (BPC-157, TB-500, ipamorelin, CJC-1295, sermorelin): sold research use only, no UK marketing authorisation for human therapeutic use.
• · Cosmetic peptides (copper peptides, Matrixyl): topical skincare ingredients sold on general sale.
• · Collagen peptides: ingestible food supplements, a different thing again.

Regulatory status in the UK

The research peptides most associated with "peptide therapy" are sold under research-use-only wording. That wording is what allows them to be supplied, and it does not authorise human treatment. For most of these peptides there are no published human randomised controlled trials for the marketed uses. PeptideClear reports this position as encyclopedia information and does not make health claims about research peptides.

Is peptide therapy available on the NHS?

No. The research peptides marketed as peptide therapy are not NHS treatments. The one peptide-based route the NHS does offer is GLP-1 medication for weight management, accessed through Tier 3 services, and that is a licensed prescription medicine rather than "peptide therapy".

Related: Peptide therapy vs GLP-1 · "Research use only" framing · MHRA medicines classification · Research peptides.