PEPTOKING
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KPV

Alpha-MSH-derived tripeptide (research chemical)

Status

Not approved

Not approved anywhere; FDA listed KPV in 503A Category 2 until the nomination was withdrawn and it was removed in April 2026, and in July 2026 an FDA advisory committee voted 8-6 (1 abstention) to recommend adding it to the 503A bulks list against FDA staff advice, pending a final FDA rule.

Evidence

Animal data only

FDA found no human exposure data by any route; the evidence is mouse colitis and rodent wound-healing studies plus cell experiments.

In sport

WADAProhibited (WADA)

KPV is the tripeptide lysine-proline-valine, the tail end of the hormone alpha-MSH, studied in mice for gut and skin inflammation. It is sold as a research chemical, has never been tested in humans and is not approved anywhere.

Structure

3 residues

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Sequence as text
H-K-P-V-OH

What it is used for

  • Inflammatory bowel disease, in mouse colitis models only (studied)
  • Wound healing and inflammatory skin conditions, the uses FDA reviewed in 2026, in animals only (studied)
  • Gut, skin and immune health (claimed, unproven)

How it works

KPV is residues 11 to 13 of alpha-MSH, but unlike alpha-MSH it does not appear to act through melanocortin receptors: in cell studies it neither displaced alpha-MSH binding nor raised cyclic AMP. Researchers propose that it enters intestinal and immune cells through the PepT1 peptide transporter and damps inflammation by inhibiting NF-kappaB and MAP kinase signalling and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In lab tests on human skin it penetrated poorly unless the skin barrier was breached.

How strong the evidence is

Animal data onlyAlmost everything known comes from animals or cells.

FDA's 2026 briefing found no human exposure data for KPV by any route and no clinical studies. The main animal evidence is a 2008 mouse study in which KPV given in drinking water reduced chemically induced (DSS and TNBS) colitis (Dalmasso 2008), plus rodent wound-healing studies. A lab study on human cadaver skin found little passive penetration, improved by microneedles and iontophoresis (Pawar 2017). In July 2026 FDA's compounding advisory committee nonetheless voted 8-6 with one abstention to recommend adding KPV to the 503A bulks list; FDA staff had recommended against.

Risks and side effects

  • No human safety or pharmacokinetic data by any route (FDA 2026).
  • Labelling is inconsistent: FDA found mismatched names and registry numbers, including products sold as the amide (KPV-NH2), which is a different substance.
  • Topical products may deliver little peptide because KPV penetrates intact skin poorly.
  • Not named by WADA but, as an unapproved pharmacological substance, falls under the S0 class, whose 2027 wording lists peptides explicitly.

Regulatory status

No regulator has approved this peptide for any use.

Status by country

JurisdictionStatusSource
USUnited StatesNo authorised medicineSource 1
EUEuropean UnionNo authorised medicineSource 10
UKUnited KingdomNo authorised medicineSource 11
AUAustraliaNo authorised medicineSource 12
CACanadaNo authorised medicineSource 13
Whether a medicine containing it is authorised, checked in each regulator’s records on Oct 1, 2026.

Status of every peptide by country

Timeline

  1. 2026

    1. RegulatoryFDA advisers vote to allow compounding of BPC-157, KPV, TB-500 and MOTS-c
    2. RegulatoryFDA removes BPC-157 and 11 other peptides from its compounding safety-risk list
    3. SafetyHealth Canada warns against injecting peptides bought online and names seized products

Sources

  1. 01FDA Briefing Document: KPV-Related Bulk Drug Substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee(opens the source in a new tab) US Food and Drug Administration, 2026
  2. 02Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks(opens the source in a new tab) US Food and Drug Administration, 2026
  3. 03July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee(opens the source in a new tab) US Food and Drug Administration, 2026
  4. 04FDA advisory committee backs two controversial peptides(opens the source in a new tab) RAPS, 2026
  5. 05PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation(opens the source in a new tab) Gastroenterology, 2008
  6. 06Transdermal Iontophoretic Delivery of Lysine-Proline-Valine (KPV) Peptide Across Microporated Human Skin(opens the source in a new tab) Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017
  7. 07UniProtKB P01189: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), human(opens the source in a new tab) UniProt, 2026
  8. 08World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026(opens the source in a new tab) World Anti-Doping Agency, 2025
  9. 09WADA publishes 2027 Prohibited List(opens the source in a new tab) World Anti-Doping Agency, 2026
  10. 10Find medicine: centrally authorised medicines(opens the source in a new tab) European Medicines Agency, 2026
  11. 11MHRA Products: active substances beginning with K(opens the source in a new tab) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, 2026
  12. 12Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)(opens the source in a new tab) Therapeutic Goods Administration
  13. 13Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you(opens the source in a new tab) Health Canada, 2026
  1. ApprovedLinaclotideGuanylate cyclase-C agonist14
  2. ApprovedTeduglutideGLP-2 analogue33
  3. Not approvedBPC-157Synthetic gastric pentadecapeptide (research chemical)15 WADA banned
  4. Not approvedIpamorelinGrowth hormone secretagogue (ghrelin receptor agonist)5 WADA banned

Educational information, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.