Every month PubMed indexes hundreds of articles on peptides. This page selects those concerning the molecules in the PeptidLab catalogue and summarises them in a few lines: population studied, figures, limitations reported by the authors.
October 2026
Publications added to PubMed between 28 September and 28 October 2026.
- publications
- 15
- molecules
- 11
- phase 3 trials
- 3
- meta-analyses
- 2
In brief
- Retatrutide: three phase 3 publications. Over 80 weeks, mean weight loss reaches 25% at 12 mg in adults with obesity without diabetes, and 18.8% in those with type 2 diabetes.
- BPC-157: two reviews conclude that human data remain very limited; the more comprehensive one finds only three small studies without a control group, 30 people in total.
- CagriSema: a meta-analysis of six trials confirms the effect on weight and blood glucose, and the REDEFINE 3 cardiovascular trial has enrolled 7,076 participants.
- Semaglutide: after treatment stops, part of the weight and visceral fat lost is regained within 24 weeks.
Clinical trials
RetatrutidePhase 3 trialN Engl J Med
Retatrutide in obesity without diabetes: the phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial
2,339 adults with obesity and no diabetes received a weekly injection of retatrutide (4, 9 or 12 mg) or placebo for 80 weeks. Mean weight loss: 17.6%, 23.7% and 25.0% depending on the dose, versus 3.9% with placebo. Knee pain fell more in participants with osteoarthritis, as did the apnoea-hypopnoea index in those with sleep apnoea. Most common adverse events: gastrointestinal. Trial funded by Eli Lilly.
RetatrutidePhase 3 trialLancet
Retatrutide in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes: the TRIUMPH-2 trial
1,152 adults with a BMI of at least 27 and type 2 diabetes, treated for 80 weeks. Mean weight loss: 11.9%, 16.8% and 18.8% with 4, 9 and 12 mg, versus 5.1% with placebo. Diarrhoea (27 to 34% vs 13%) and nausea (14 to 28% vs 8%) were more frequent with retatrutide, as were hypotension and dysaesthesia. Permanent discontinuations due to adverse events or death: 12% at 9 mg and 8% at 12 mg, versus 5% with placebo. Trial funded by Eli Lilly.
RetatrutidePhase 3 trialN Engl J Med
Retatrutide and obstructive sleep apnoea: two phase 3 trials
691 adults with moderate-to-severe sleep apnoea and a BMI of at least 27, with or without type 2 diabetes. At baseline they had on average 56 to 59 apnoeas or hypopnoeas per hour of sleep. After 80 weeks, this index fell by 19 to 34 events per hour with retatrutide, versus about 10 with placebo. Weight loss: 12 to 22% depending on the trial and dose, versus 5 to 6% with placebo. Adverse events mainly gastrointestinal. Trials funded by Eli Lilly.
SemaglutidePhase 2b trialOpen Forum Infect Dis
Semaglutide: what remains of the effects after stopping treatment
108 people living with HIV and lipohypertrophy received semaglutide or placebo for 32 weeks; treatment was then stopped and follow-up continued to week 56 (80 participants analysed). After stopping, weight, waist circumference, visceral fat and insulin resistance rose again. At week 56, part of the reduction in weight, BMI and waist circumference was still retained compared with baseline. According to the authors, continued treatment is probably needed for a lasting benefit.
CagriSemaTrial designAm Heart J
CagriSema: the design of the REDEFINE 3 cardiovascular trial
This article describes the trial and its participants, not yet its results. 7,076 adults from 24 countries with established cardiovascular disease and a BMI of at least 25 receive CagriSema (cagrilintide 2.4 mg and semaglutide 2.4 mg) or placebo every week. Mean age: 66 years; 61% have type 2 diabetes and 62% have already had a heart attack. The trial must first show that CagriSema does not increase major cardiovascular events, then test whether it reduces them.
Meta-analyses and reviews
CagriSemaMeta-analysisDiabetes Obes Metab
CagriSema in type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis of six trials
Six randomised trials, 4,554 participants with type 2 diabetes. Compared with placebo, CagriSema 2.4 mg lowers HbA1c by 1.87 points and weight by an additional 12.7 percentage points. Against semaglutide 2.4 mg alone, the gain in HbA1c is small and uncertain (0.21 points), while the gain in weight is more probable (5.8 points). Gastrointestinal effects and discontinuations due to adverse events are more frequent than with placebo.
Thymosin alpha-1Meta-analysisFront Immunol
Thymosin alpha-1 and chemotherapy in stomach cancer: meta-analysis
20 randomised trials, 1,704 patients, all conducted in China. Added to chemotherapy, thymosin alpha-1 was associated with a better response rate (RR 1.39), higher immune markers (CD4+ lymphocytes, NK cells) and fewer gastrointestinal, haematological and liver toxicities. Long-term survival was not reported systematically, and the quality of evidence ranges from very low to moderate.
BPC-157Systematic reviewActa Orthop Belg
BPC-157 in humans: a systematic review in orthopaedics
The authors searched for every human study published up to 1 June 2026. They found only three, with 30 people in total: knee injections (16 patients), bladder instillations for interstitial cystitis (12) and an intravenous tolerability test (2). All describe improvement in most participants, with no adverse event attributed to the product, but without a control group. Certainty of evidence: very low. The authors advise against any clinical use outside regulated trials.
BPC-157TB-500Narrative reviewJ Am Acad Orthop Surg
BPC-157, thymosin beta-4 and TB-500 in orthopaedics: where does the evidence stand?
Literature review up to June 2026. BPC-157 has the most animal studies on tendons, ligaments, muscles and bone, but in humans only one small case series without a control group. Thymosin beta-4 has been studied in humans in ophthalmology, dermatology and cardiology, not in orthopaedics. TB-500, a seven-amino-acid fragment, should not be confused with full-length thymosin beta-4. The authors also point to uncertainties about the purity of products on sale and to anti-doping rules.
EpithalonNarrative reviewInt J Mol Sci
Epithalon and epithalamin: a review of mechanistic and clinical evidence
Review of studies published up to 22 September 2026. Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) is treated separately from epithalamin, the pineal gland extract its composition was derived from. The studies describe effects on telomere maintenance, circadian rhythms and oxidative stress. In humans, only small biomarker studies and an older controlled trial in retinitis pigmentosa are available. The authors' conclusion: a biologically active molecule, but clinically unproven.
Observational and laboratory studies
RetatrutideCross-sectional studyJAMA Netw Open
Retatrutide outside trials: adverse effects described on social media
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania analysed the adverse effects reported by social media users who say they take retatrutide outside any trial. The published abstract gives no figures; the full article is open access. Retatrutide has no marketing authorisation to date.
MOTS-cCross-sectional studyAntioxidants (Basel)
Blood MOTS-c, exercise capacity and antioxidant defences
30 young men aged 18 to 25: 10 elite athletes, 10 recreationally active men and 10 sedentary men. Blood levels of MOTS-c, a peptide naturally produced by mitochondria, were highest in the athletes (508 pg/mL), intermediate in the active men (440) and lowest in the sedentary men (319). They correlated strongly with VO2max and antioxidant markers. Observational study: it shows an association, not the effect of giving MOTS-c.
SS-31Animal studyAging Cell
SS-31 (elamipretide) and oocyte quality during ageing
In aged mice, elamipretide increased litter size and limited the decline in oocyte quality by improving their maturation. The authors attribute this to activation of a vitamin B6-VEGF axis. On aged human oocytes in the laboratory, it promoted maturation, fertilisation and the first cell divisions. No data in patients at this stage.
KPVIn vitro studyTissue Cell
KPV and foam cells: a study on cultured macrophages
In cultured mouse macrophages exposed to oxidised LDL, the tripeptide KPV reduced lipid accumulation and foam cell formation, a step in atherosclerosis. It also lowered oxidative stress, NF-κB activation and NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, without toxicity to the cells. Result obtained in vitro only.
GHK-CuAnalytical methodJ Chromatogr A
GHK-Cu in liposomes: a method to check its stability in cosmetics
Being highly hydrophilic, GHK-Cu penetrates the skin poorly; encapsulating it in liposomes is one way to improve its delivery. The authors incorporated GHK-Cu liposomes into an emulsion and a serum, then tracked their stability by capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS/MS), which distinguishes the peptide's copper from the liposomes' phosphorus. The abstract describes the method without quantifying the stability achieved.
How this watch is compiled
- PubMed search by molecule, covering articles added during the past month.
- For heavily studied molecules (semaglutide, tirzepatide, NAD+ precursors), only clinical trials and meta-analyses are included.
- Each summary reflects only the content of the published abstract: no conclusion is added to the authors' own.
- Editorials, letters and commentaries are not included.
A study in animals or cells says nothing about efficacy in humans. Clinical trials concern medicines manufactured and dosed by pharmaceutical companies; PeptidLab vials are research peptides with no marketing authorisation.
Frequently asked questions
How often is this watch updated?
Once a month. The new edition appears at the top of the page; previous ones remain available below.
Why are some studies not listed?
Only publications that bring new data on a molecule in the catalogue are included. For the most studied molecules, such as semaglutide, the selection is limited to clinical trials and meta-analyses.
Do these results apply to PeptidLab vials?
No. The trials concern medicines manufactured and dosed by pharmaceutical companies, in a regulated setting. PeptidLab vials are research peptides with no marketing authorisation.
This guide has an informative and scientific purpose. PeptidLab products are intended exclusively for laboratory research and are not intended for human or animal consumption.