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Buying smart
Research chemical, compounded or FDA-approved?
The three ways peptides are sold in the US, and what each one guarantees.
- FDA-approved drugs (semaglutide as Ozempic or Wegovy, tirzepatide as Mounjaro or Zepbound, tesamorelin as Egrifta) have passed clinical trials and are made under drug manufacturing rules. Prescription only.
- Compounded drugs are made by licensed pharmacies for individual patients, from ingredients the law allows. Compounding is legal only for ingredients that are FDA-approved, have a USP monograph, or are on FDA's 503A bulks list or under evaluation (Category 1). Compounded drugs aren't FDA-approved.
- Research chemicals are sold "for research use only, not for human consumption". They're outside the drug system entirely: no prescription, no manufacturing standards, no approval. Most products listed on this site are sold this way, which is why independent testing matters so much.
FDA's lists change. In 2026 several research peptides moved toward possible compounding but none had been added yet; the compounding page tracks it with sources.
Key points
- Approved, compounded and research-use are different systems.
- Compounding is legal only for specific allowed ingredients.
- Research chemicals have no drug-quality guarantees.
Quick check
Can a US pharmacy compound a peptide that isn't approved and isn't on any FDA bulks list or category?
Under section 503A the bulk ingredient must be approved, have a USP monograph, or be on the bulks list (or in Category 1 while FDA evaluates it).
US compounding status for every peptide
Sources
General education, not medical advice. Nothing here recommends using any compound or amount.