Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-27. ← Back to Evidence Library
Nesfatin-1: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: an 82-amino-acid peptide cut from a larger protein, nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2). Found in 2006 in rat brain as a satiety signal; its receptor is still unknown. R1, R2
What the evidence says: Animal from lab and animal work, nesfatin-1 is believed to act as a fullness (satiety) signal: injected into rat brain, it reduced feeding. R1 ⚪ No human treatment studies exist to date; human studies only measure blood levels, and results are mixed: no clear difference in PCOS, and highly inconsistent findings in type 2 diabetes. R3, R4 Whether it could help people is an open question worth future study.
Biggest risks: unknown: human safety has never been studied.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | None for taking it; observational blood-level studies only R3, R4 |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | Rats and mice (brain injection reduced feeding) R1 |
| Regulatory | Not approved anywhere · not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page R5, R6, R7 · not named on WADA's 2026 list; as a drug not approved anywhere for human use it falls under S0 (non-approved substances) R8 |
| Established human dose | No |
Evidence verdict: Appetite or weight loss: No human data (animal studies only) · Diabetes, PCOS or other uses: No human data (blood-level studies only)
This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.
Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source
About the evidence: blood-level studies show association, not cause, and cannot tell you what an injected product would do. Animal effects came mostly from injection into the brain.
What is it?
Related pages: phoenixin, spexin, adropin.
Does it work?
- Animal Appetite: injecting it into rat brain reduced feeding, linked to the melanocortin system. R1
- ⚪ PCOS: a meta-analysis found no clear difference in blood levels. R3
- ⚪ Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis found highly inconsistent results across studies. R4
- ⚪ Bariatric surgery: levels change variably after surgery. R9
- ⚪ No interventional human trials found on CT.gov (searched Oct 27, 2026).
Is it safe?
- ⚪ No human safety data.
- Its receptor is unknown, so off-target effects cannot be predicted. R2
Gray-market vials: extra risks
A gray-market vial has no quality control and no guarantee of identity, strength or sterility. We test retail vials blind under the Open Peptide Standard; see /tests/. A passing test covers one batch on one date and does not mean the compound is safe.
Is it legal?
- US: not FDA-approved; no Drugs@FDA application found (openFDA searched Oct 27, 2026).
- Compounding: not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page. R5, R6, R7
- Sport: not named on WADA's 2026 list; as a drug not approved anywhere for human use it falls under S0 (non-approved substances) R8.
Study details
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No human dosing study | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oh-I 2006 | Rats | Brain (ICV) injection | Per protocol | Short-term | Reduced feeding | PMID 17036007 |
Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 27, 2026)
- R1 Oh-I S, et al. Nature. 2006. PMID 17036007
- R2 Rupp SK, et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021. PMID 34566899
- R3 Wang M, et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023. PMID 38327900
- R4 Reyes-Lucía E, et al. Biomedica. 2025. PMID 40865110
- R5 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
- R6 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- R7 FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current Apr 22, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
- R8 WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List, S0 Non-approved substances; full list checked, compound not named. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf
- R9 Bidares M, et al. Health Sci Rep. 2026. PMID 41623366
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Nesfatin-1. This is a naturally occurring peptide that has never been tested as a treatment in people and is not approved anywhere. Products sold under this name are unregulated research chemicals. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).