Peptide Checkup

Compound record · Sexual health

Kisspeptin

Also Kisspeptin-10 · Kisspeptin-54 · KP-10 · KP-54 · Metastin · KISS1 peptide

Hypothalamic neuropeptide (KISS1 receptor agonist)

Sexual healthEvidence · PreliminaryEarly-stage human studiesWADA · Prohibited at all times

Investigational reproductive hormone studied for low desire and IVF, not a medicine

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Record reviewed 1 September 2026 · 6 references

Class
Hypothalamic neuropeptide upstream of GnRH
Human evidence
Single-dose crossover studies (n = 32 each) and a 60-woman IVF trial
Regulatory status
Investigational; not authorised anywhere; FDA Category 2 (kisspeptin-10)
Anti-doping
Prohibited at all times in males (WADA S2.2.1)
Route in studies
Hospital IV infusion or single clinic injection

01 Overview

What Kisspeptin is

Summary

Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring peptide that sits at the top of the reproductive hormone axis, driving the release of GnRH and therefore LH, FSH and sex steroids. It exists in several lengths (kisspeptin-54 and -10 are the most studied) and is given by intravenous infusion or single injection in clinical research at Imperial College London, where small randomised studies have shown changes in sexual brain processing in men and women with low desire and safe triggering of egg maturation in IVF. It is not authorised anywhere, remains on the FDA's compounding safety-risk list, and is prohibited in sport for men.

Mechanism

Binds the KISS1 receptor (GPR54) on hypothalamic GnRH neurons, releasing GnRH and so LH and FSH from the pituitary, which in turn raise testosterone or oestradiol. Kisspeptin neurons also project to limbic brain regions, and functional MRI studies suggest direct effects on sexual and emotional processing that are separate from the hormone rise. Continuous high exposure desensitises the receptor and suppresses the axis.

Routes studiedIntravenous, Subcutaneous injection
Anti-dopingProhibited at all times

02 Evidence by goal

What has been shown, for which goal

Grades follow one scale across the site. Preliminary overall means: early-phase human data or case series; findings need replication.

  1. Other

    Limited

    Fertility research: a single subcutaneous kisspeptin-54 injection triggered egg maturation in 95% of 60 women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF, with no moderate or severe hyperstimulation. It is also used as a diagnostic stimulation test in delayed puberty. These are specialist, clinic-based uses under trial protocols.

  2. Sexual health

    Preliminary

    In two double-blind crossover studies (32 men and 32 women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder), a 75-minute kisspeptin-54 infusion altered activity in sexual-processing brain regions, increased penile response to erotic videos by up to 56% and modestly improved some self-reported measures, with no adverse effects. These are single-dose mechanistic studies, not treatment trials, and nothing has been tested as a self-injected product.

  3. General wellbeing

    Insufficient

    Sold online as a 'natural testosterone booster'. Acute kisspeptin doses do raise LH and testosterone for a few hours in research settings, but repeated dosing desensitises the axis and no study has shown improvements in energy, mood, body composition or long-term testosterone.

03 Regulatory status

Where it is authorised, and for what

Status is recorded per jurisdiction from regulator sources and reviewed by hand. It is never inferred from another region's decision.

United Kingdom

Not authorised

No marketing authorisation; used only in ethically approved clinical research.

Kisspeptin is administered in the UK solely within MHRA-authorised clinical trials (for example at Imperial College London and Hammersmith Hospital). No licensed medicine contains it, and products sold online as 'kisspeptin-10' are unlicensed medicines.

StatusNot authorised
Status last reviewed1 September 2026
SourceOur maintained database — never inferred

04 Dosing research

What the evidence says about exposure

Published human studies and the doses, routes and durations they used — reported as research information, not a recommendation.

Research information — not a recommendation. These are the exposures used in published human studies, reported so you can see what has been tested. They are not dosing instructions and do not apply to any individual.

Study 01

Kisspeptin-54 infusion in men with hypoactive sexual desire disorder

Thurston L et al., JAMA Netw Open 2023;6(2):e2254313 · Source

Phase 2 (mechanistic)2023
Design
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover
Population
Heterosexual men (mean age 38) with hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Participants
n = 32
Duration
Two single 75-minute infusions at least 7 days apart
Route
Intravenous
Doses studied
Kisspeptin-54 1 nmol/kg per hour by intravenous infusion for 75 minutes (about 1.25 nmol/kg in total) versus rate-matched placebo
Outcome at this exposure
Kisspeptin modulated activity in sexual-processing brain regions on functional MRI (Cohen d = 0.81), increased penile tumescence in response to erotic videos by up to 56% more than placebo, and increased self-rated 'happiness about sex'.
Adverse events observed
Well tolerated; no side effects or adverse events were reported, and blood pressure and heart rate were unchanged.

Study 02

Kisspeptin-54 infusion in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder

Thurston L et al., JAMA Netw Open 2022;5(10):e2236131 · Source

Phase 2 (mechanistic)2022
Design
Randomised, double-masked, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover
Population
Premenopausal women (mean age 29) with hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Participants
n = 32
Duration
Two single 75-minute infusions at least one month apart
Route
Intravenous
Doses studied
Kisspeptin-54 1 nmol/kg per hour by intravenous infusion for 75 minutes versus equivalent-rate placebo
Outcome at this exposure
Kisspeptin altered brain responses to erotic videos and attractive faces; women with greater sexual distress showed greater kisspeptin-enhanced hippocampal activity. LH rose by about 2 IU/L; sex-steroid levels did not change during the infusion.
Adverse events observed
Well tolerated with no reported adverse effects.

Study 03

Kisspeptin-54 to trigger egg maturation in IVF (women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation)

Abbara A et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015;100:3322–3331 · Source

Phase 22015
Design
Open-label, randomised, adaptive dose-allocation
Population
Women undergoing IVF at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
Participants
n = 60
Duration
Single injection; oocyte retrieval 36 hours later
Route
Subcutaneous injection
Doses studied
One subcutaneous injection of kisspeptin-54 at 3.2, 6.4, 9.6 or 12.8 nmol/kg after standard ovarian stimulation
Outcome at this exposure
Egg maturation occurred in 95% of women; live-birth rate per embryo transfer was 45% overall and 62% at the 9.6 nmol/kg dose.
Adverse events observed
No woman developed moderate, severe or critical ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome; the injection was well tolerated.

Every human study has used pharmaceutical-grade kisspeptin-54 (or kisspeptin-10 in physiology experiments) given once, in hospital, with hormone monitoring. Research on repeated dosing shows the reproductive axis becomes desensitised within days at higher exposures. There are no studies of the self-injected kisspeptin-10 'libido' or 'testosterone' protocols sold online, and the doses quoted (often 100–200 mcg) bear no relationship to the weight-based nmol/kg regimens used in trials.

05 Safety

Adverse effects and contraindications

Common effects seen in trials or reports, serious effects that warrant urgent review, and conditions under which use is not appropriate or needs assessment.

Common adverse effects

  • Infusions and single injections in trials: no side effects reported
  • Transient rise in LH, FSH and sex-steroid levels for several hours
  • Injection-site reactions (grey-market products)
  • Possible transient flushing or warmth (occasionally reported in physiology studies)

Serious adverse effects

  • None reported in published trials (all single, supervised doses)
  • Desensitisation and suppression of the reproductive axis with repeated high-dose exposure
  • Theoretical stimulation of hormone-sensitive tumours
  • Unknown effects of chronic self-administration — never studied
  • Immune reactions or infection from unregulated injectable products

Contraindications

  • Hormonal disorderCaution

    Kisspeptin directly stimulates the pituitary–gonadal axis. Anyone with a pituitary, ovarian or testicular disorder (including PCOS, hypogonadism or on fertility treatment) needs endocrine assessment before any exposure.

  • CancerCaution

    Acute doses raise testosterone or oestradiol. The effect on hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast or prostate cancer is unknown and potentially unfavourable.

  • Mental health conditionCaution

    Kisspeptin acts on limbic and emotional brain circuits; its effects in people with active mood disorders have not been studied, and low desire linked to depression or its treatment needs a different approach.

Do not use = should not be used · Caution = needs assessment

06 Interactions

Medicine classes that need review

Grouped by how seriously the combination should be taken. Class labels match the medicines questionnaire in the assessment.

  • Major
  • Moderate
  • Minor

Moderate

Monitoring or dose review is usually advised.

  • Testosterone / anabolic hormone

    Testosterone gel or injection

    Exogenous testosterone suppresses the very axis kisspeptin stimulates, so the hormonal effect would be blunted or unpredictable; the combination is unstudied and both are relevant to anti-doping rules.

  • Hormone replacement therapy

    Oestrogen, progesterone

    Oestrogen or progestogen therapy changes pituitary responsiveness to kisspeptin; no data on combined use.

  • Cancer treatment

    Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy

    Hormonal cancer treatments (GnRH analogues, aromatase inhibitors, anti-androgens, tamoxifen) work by suppressing or blocking the sex-steroid axis; kisspeptin could oppose them. Disclose any use to the oncology team.

Minor

Generally compatible; awareness is sufficient.

  • Oral contraceptive

    Combined pill, progestogen-only pill

    Hormonal contraception blunts the LH response to kisspeptin in research studies; there is no evidence that kisspeptin reduces contraceptive efficacy, but the combination is unstudied outside trials.

07 Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Status in pregnancy

Insufficient data

The placenta produces very large amounts of kisspeptin and the peptide is being studied as a marker of pregnancy complications, but exogenous kisspeptin has only ever been given as a single IVF trigger before conception. There are no data on use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

08 Monitoring

What is usually monitored

Parameters that trials and product information track. A clinician decides what applies to an individual.

  1. 01Reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, testosterone or oestradiol) before and during any exposure
  2. 02Menstrual cycle regularity in women
  3. 03Mood and desire using a validated questionnaire rather than impressions
  4. 04Injection sites for reactions if injected products have been used
  5. 05Anti-doping status: named on the WADA list for male athletes (S2.2.1)

09 Combinations

What is known about combining it

Notes on pairing with other compounds in the directory: whether the combination has been studied in people, and where mechanisms overlap.

  • PT-141 (bremelanotide)

    No human studies

    Overlap · Both act centrally on sexual-desire pathways in the brain.

    Never studied together. PT-141 is an approved on-demand medicine (in the US); kisspeptin is an investigational infusion. There is no rationale for combining them outside a trial.

  • Melanotan II

    No human studies

    Overlap · Both are marketed online for libido.

    No data on the combination. Melanotan II carries its own serious safety warnings; adding an unstudied hormone-axis stimulant compounds the uncertainty.

  • CJC-1295

    No human studies

    Overlap · Both stimulate pituitary hormone release via hypothalamic pathways.

    No human data on combining reproductive-axis and growth-hormone-axis secretagogues; both are WADA-prohibited.

  • Ipamorelin

    No human studies

    Overlap · Both stimulate pituitary hormone release via hypothalamic pathways.

    No human data on combining reproductive-axis and growth-hormone-axis secretagogues; both are WADA-prohibited.

Discuss any proposed combination with a qualified healthcare professional.

10 Source considerations

Supply, quality and legitimacy

How the compound reaches people in practice, and what that means for product quality.

  1. 01No authorised kisspeptin product exists anywhere; the peptide used in trials is manufactured to clinical-trial GMP standards for hospital use only.
  2. 02Vials sold online as 'kisspeptin-10' are unregulated research chemicals with no assurance of identity, purity, sterility or endotoxin content — and kisspeptin-10 remains on the FDA's Category 2 safety-risk list.
  3. 03Kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-54 have different pharmacokinetics; results from -54 infusion studies cannot be transferred to -10 injections.
  4. 04The investigational kisspeptin receptor agonist (MVT-602) is not commercially available; products claiming to contain it are suspect.

11 Questions for your clinician

Take these to your appointment

Specific to this compound. The personal assessment adds questions drawn from your own history and medicines.

  1. 01Has my low desire been properly assessed — hormones, medicines, mood, relationship factors — before considering any hormonal intervention?
  2. 02Do I have any hormone-sensitive condition or cancer history that makes stimulating the reproductive axis a concern?
  3. 03Do I understand that the published studies were single supervised infusions and say nothing about self-injection?
  4. 04If fertility is the issue, what established treatments should I be considering?
  5. 05Am I subject to anti-doping rules?

The personal assessment tailors this list to your responses.

12 Alternatives

Compounds with stronger evidence or firmer regulatory footing

Listed for overlapping goals. Whether any is appropriate depends on your history — the assessment maps that for you.

13 References

Sources behind this record

Regulator documents and peer-reviewed publications used to derive every grade and statement above.

  1. 01Thurston L et al. Effects of kisspeptin on sexual brain processing and penile tumescence in men with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. JAMA Netw Open 2023;6:e2254313
  2. 02Thurston L et al. Effects of kisspeptin administration in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. JAMA Netw Open 2022;5:e2236131
  3. 03Abbara A et al. Efficacy of kisspeptin-54 to trigger oocyte maturation in women at high risk of OHSS during IVF. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015;100:3322–3331
  4. 04Jayasena CN et al. Kisspeptin-54 triggers egg maturation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. J Clin Invest 2014;124:3667–3677
  5. 05WADA Prohibited List 2025 — S2.2.1 testosterone-stimulating peptides in males, including kisspeptin and its agonist analogues
  6. 06FDA — Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A (kisspeptin-10 in Category 2, updated May 2026)

The Peptide Checkup provides educational information and a structured summary of published research and regulatory status. It is not medical advice, does not diagnose or treat any condition, and does not replace a consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

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