KPV
α-MSH(11–13) tripeptide
- Injection
- Oral
- Nasal spray
- Suppository
- Gel or cream
Injection · Oral · Nasal spray · Gel or cream — no established human protocol.
Available — priced per vial or unit, not by the month
KPV is a tripeptide — lysine, proline, valine — clipped from the tail end of α-MSH, a hormone your pituitary already makes to regulate pigmentation and inflammation. At three amino acids, it’s about as small as a peptide gets: for scale, BPC-157 is fifteen residues and MOTS-c is sixteen. The interest in KPV comes from a specific finding — it keeps most of the parent hormone’s anti-inflammatory activity while losing the pigment-driving effect entirely.
What makes KPV unusual is how it works. It doesn’t use the receptor α-MSH normally binds. Instead, it appears to enter cells through a transporter called PepT1 — one that switches on specifically in tissue that’s already inflamed, particularly gut lining — and dials down inflammatory signaling from inside the cell. That’s a locally-targeted story, most active exactly where inflammation already exists, rather than a peptide that circulates broadly through the bloodstream.
“KPV may be the most mechanistically well-mapped tripeptide in the pipeline — the open question isn’t how it works, it’s whether it works in people.”
The animal work behind this mechanism is real and has been reproduced across labs. The full pathway detail, every study, and the delivery-route research belong on our PeptideWellness deep-dive.
Who it's for (or who should avoid)
What it's aimed at
Right now, KPV is best understood as a research-stage candidate rather than an established protocol. People currently paying attention to it tend to be:
- Those following gut-health and inflammation research closely, including the PepT1 transporter mechanism
- Patients whose providers track the FDA’s compounding-list review pipeline
- People already using better-evidenced recovery peptides who want to understand what’s next in that space
- Clinicians and researchers monitoring transporter-targeted anti-inflammatory approaches generally
KPV works alongside an honest conversation about evidence stage, not instead of one. It isn’t a substitute for treatments with an established human track record, and it shouldn’t be framed as one.
Who should avoid it
- Anyone expecting established human safety or efficacy data — none exists yet for KPV specifically
- Anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive — there’s no data in any of these populations
- Anyone who needs a proven treatment now rather than an investigational compound with no completed human trial
- Anyone sourcing from unverified “research use only” vendors instead of discussing options with a licensed provider
Route, dose and course
KPV is currently sold as oral capsules, topical creams, nasal sprays, and occasionally injectable preparations — mostly under research-use-only labeling. A few telehealth providers have it compounded on prescription. It is not on the FDA’s list of substances a compounding pharmacy may use, but since October 28, 2026 HHS has said it will not act against pharmacies that compound it as a single-ingredient topical or oral product. That regulatory gap matters for delivery too: there’s no established human dosing for any of these forms.
What the evidence says about each route:
- Oral capsules — widely sold, but no confirmed human bioavailability or pharmacokinetic data exists for any species or route
- Topical creams — passive diffusion has been measured at below-detection levels on human skin; meaningful delivery in lab testing required microneedling or iontophoresis, not a cream alone
- Compounded forms — prescribed by a few telehealth providers as capsules or inside injectable blends; HHS’s October 2026 policy covers only single-ingredient topical and oral KPV
- Discuss with a clinician — because there’s no established dosing, safety profile, or delivery method, this is a conversation about whether to wait for more research, not a protocol to begin today
Stage by stage
Read this first. This isn't a treatment-response timeline — there's no human trial data yet to build one from. It's an honest picture of where the evidence and the regulation stand, and what would need to happen next.
Because there’s no human trial behind KPV yet, there’s no treatment-response timeline to describe honestly. What can be tracked is the evidence and regulatory picture itself — and it’s moving. Here’s how that’s likely to unfold from here:
- WHERE THINGS STAND NOWTolerated under conditions, no rule yetA July 2026 FDA advisory committee voted narrowly in favor of allowing compounding pharmacies to work with KPV; FDA hasn't acted on it. On October 28, 2026 HHS said it will not act against licensed pharmacies that compound KPV for a named patient, as a single-ingredient topical or oral product, under set conditions. Source: FDA advisory committee, 23–24 July 2026 (checked Oct 17, 2026) · HHS enforcement-discretion policy, 28 October 2026 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- WHAT COMES NEXTRulemaking, if it happensAdding KPV to the legal compounding list requires a proposed rule, a public comment period, and a final rule. None of that has started, and there's no published timeline. Source: 21 CFR 216.23, the 503A bulks list (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- WHAT WOULD CHANGE THE PICTUREA first human studyNo registered human trial exists yet. A Phase 1 study, a pharmacokinetic profile, or a final FDA determination would each meaningfully move this forward. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search "KPV" (checked Oct 17, 2026)
Available — priced per vial or unit, not by the month
No seller here prices it by the month. Each figure is what the seller publishes, in its own unit — a vial, a spray or a capsule — with the exclusion spelled out. How long a unit lasts depends on the dose a prescriber sets.
| Provider | Published price | What that figure excludes | Coverage | Their own site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeRxPeptide-only telehealth, Wellness MD Group PC | No price for this compound | The only peptide figure on the site is a floor for the whole menu — treatment plans "starting at $199" — so there is no price for any individual compound. The provider review is included; there is no separate consultation fee. | All 50, stated | Go to site |
| RxPepsDirectPer-vial prices, 503A pharmacy in Texas | $2.25 per capsuleread 2026-11-04 | The $39 telehealth visit, charged per order. No established human dose, so a capsule price does not say what a month costs. | A named list | Go to site |
Will it work where you live?
Most sellers claim all fifty states or publish nothing about coverage; a few name the states they serve or the ones they exclude, and the Coverage column says which. Either way it is the seller's own claim, so we can't filter this list by state without inventing a fact. What we can tell you is which state-level rules decide access: telehealth rules, non-resident pharmacy licensing, and who is allowed to prescribe.
Prices and providers change. We keep track.
Questions we get about KPV
Is KPV FDA-approved?
No. KPV has never been approved for any indication, anywhere. In July 2026 an FDA advisory committee voted 8-6 with one abstention to recommend it for the list of substances pharmacies may legally compound — but that vote is non-binding, FDA hasn't issued a final rule, and KPV is not currently on that list.
Is it legal?
Compounding it on a prescription is now tolerated, under conditions, though it is still on no list that authorises it. Section 503A lets a pharmacy compound only from an ingredient of an FDA-approved drug, a substance with a USP monograph or one on the FDA's 503A bulks list, and KPV is none of these. On October 28, 2026, HHS said it will not take action against State-licensed pharmacies and licensed physicians that compound KPV for a named patient while the FDA decides whether to list it. The conditions: KPV is the only active ingredient, the route is topical or oral use only, the bulk substance comes from an FDA-registered manufacturer named on a certificate of analysis, and serious side effects are reported to the FDA. HHS can withdraw the policy. A blend that mixes KPV with other peptides is outside it, and buying from "research chemical" sellers without a prescription is still not a lawful supply route for human use. Since November 2, 2026, LegitScript, the certifier whose seal many telehealth sites show, no longer refuses certification to sellers whose KPV meets these conditions; that seal is not FDA approval.
See what licensed providers actually carry →Are there side effects?
There's no human safety data of any kind — no trial, no case report, no tolerability study. What exists is incidental cytocompatibility data from animal and cell-culture work, which hasn't flagged major concerns but doesn't establish human safety either. This is a conversation for a licensed clinician, not a settled answer.
Can I take it with my current medications?
There's no published interaction data for KPV in humans, so this genuinely isn't known yet. If you're considering it, bring your full medication and supplement list to a clinician who follows the research closely before making any decision.
How much does it cost?
The sellers in the price table on this page price it per vial or unit rather than by the month, each with the date we read it. PeRx sells it only inside a four-peptide injectable blend, without a per-compound price, so it is not in the table. With no established human dose, a per-capsule price does not tell you what a month costs. Research-grade products sold outside a prescription are a different transaction, with purity and sourcing that vary widely. Insurance does not cover it.
We publish no medical reviewer by design. Every claim on this page traces to a source we hold on file, and the reviewed write-up with those citations lives on our hub. Read the full research on PeptideWellness ↗
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