One Day MD | Evidence-Based Wellness

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD  |  Medically reviewed by One Day MD Review Team  |  Last updated: August 2026 Quick Answer SELECT showed that semaglutide 2.4 mg cuts major cardiovascular events by 20% in people with overweight/obesity and existing heart disease who do not have diabetes. The STEP program (STEP 1–5, STEP 8, and the newer STEP UP trials) established semaglutide's weight-loss profile, with losses ranging from roughly 10% to over 20% of body weight depending on dose, population, and duration. The SURPASS program showed that tirzepatide — a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist — produces larger HbA1c and weight reductions than semaglutide in type 2 diabetes, and the newly published SURPASS-CVOT (December 2025) confirmed tirzepatide is at least as cardioprotective as dulaglutide. FLOW showed semaglutide cuts major kidney disease events by 24% in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which led the FDA to approve a dedicated kidney-protection indic...

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD  |  Originally published April 2026  |  Fully updated August 26, 2026 for the FDA's July 2026 compounding committee vote Quick Answer As of August 2026, GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide) remain the only peptides in this guide with full FDA approval. On July 23–24, 2026, an FDA advisory committee (PCAC) recommended adding BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, Semax, and Epitalon to the list of substances compounding pharmacies may use — but that vote is non-binding, and none of the six is lawful to compound yet; formal rulemaking is expected to take 12–24 months. Separately, AOD-9604 failed its pivotal human obesity trial back in 2007. The best human evidence among the non-GLP-1 peptides here belongs to topical GHK-Cu (skin) and Selank (anxiety); the weakest belongs to BPC-157 and TB-500 (mostly animal data). Any protocol should run through a licensed physician — not a gray-market vendor. Medical & regu...