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PEPTIDE READER

Recovery & strength

Peptides for joint pain and bone health

Four entries and a very wide spread.

The evidence mix

The 4 peptides on this page, by how well they have been tested.

  1. Approved medicine1 peptide
  2. Still being tested in people1 peptide
  3. Tested in people, but barely2 peptides
  4. Only tested on animalsnone on this page
  5. No real evidence at allnone on this page
How we grade evidence

One is an approved osteoporosis medicine with a registered use. One is a supplement whose studies are small and largely funded by the industry that sells it. The other two are sold on the gray market: one was given to people recovering from a hip fracture and did not help them, and the other has nothing on bone but a marker that moved in rats. Only the first was ever tested to treat a bone disease.

All 4 peptides on this page

Strongest evidence first.

Filter these in the full register

Approved medicine

Approved by the European or US medicines regulator for a named condition, after large randomised trials, with a public product information sheet anyone can read.

1 peptide

  1. Evidence level 5 of 5: Approved medicine

    Teriparatide (PTH 1-34)

    Forsteo · Forteo

    Approved for osteoporosis to strengthen bone and reduce fractures.

    Large controlled trials show fewer spinal and non-spinal fractures in people at high risk.

    Sold as: Therapeutic

Still being tested in people

Currently in registered clinical trials in humans, but not approved anywhere yet. The trials may still fail — most drugs at this stage do.

1 peptide

  1. Evidence level 4 of 5: Still being tested in people

    MK-677 (ibutamoren)

    Ibutamoren · Ibutamoren mesylate

    Promoted for muscle growth, better sleep and slower ageing through higher growth hormone levels.

    Trials raised the hormone every time and changed nothing measurable: no more strength, no better function, no effect on the diseases it was tested against.

    Sold as: Gray market

Tested in people, but barely

Human studies exist, but they are small, short, uncontrolled, paid for by the seller, or they measure something easy to measure instead of something that matters.

2 peptides

  1. Evidence level 3 of 5: Tested in people, but barely

    AOD-9604

    hGH fragment 176-191 · hGH frag 176-191

    Promoted for fat loss, and increasingly for joints, cartilage and anti-ageing.

    A 502-person trial found no more weight loss than dummy tablets, and the injected form people buy has never been tested in anyone.

    Sold as: Gray market

  2. Evidence level 3 of 5: Tested in people, but barely

    Collagen peptides (hydrolysed collagen)

    hydrolysed collagen · collagen hydrolysate

    Sold as a supplement for skin, hair, bones and joints.

    Small human trials report some skin and joint changes, but many were funded by the industry selling the products.

    Sold as: Supplement