Bones & muscles IGF-1 analog
IGF-1 DES
Regulatory status
Status at a glance
503A compounding status
Not nominated
We found no pending nomination for the 503A bulks list. Unless the substance has another legal pathway (for example, a USP monograph or use in an FDA-approved drug), 503A pharmacies generally may not compound with it.
- FDA approval
- Not FDA-approved for any use
- 503B outsourcing
- Not determined
- Anti-doping (WADA)
- On the WADA Prohibited List
- DEA schedule
- Not a controlled substance
About peptide status
Most peptides discussed here are not FDA-approved for any use, and products labeled “research use only” are not for human use. Removal from Category 2 does not authorize compounding. PCAC votes are non-binding recommendations; FDA and HHS make the final decisions.
This is not medical or legal advice, and we do not publish dosing, sourcing or reconstitution information. Talk with a licensed clinician before using any peptide.
If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
Key takeaway
IGF-1 DES is a shortened, more potent laboratory analog of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), sold on the "research peptide" and performance market for muscle growth. Its evidence is entirely animal and cell-based, with no human trials, and it is a known performance-enhancing drug. As of 2026 it is not FDA-approved and is banned in sport.
At a glance
- FDA status
- Non-FDA-approved IGF-1 analog sold as a research chemical / performance drug
- What it is
- Truncated, more potent version of IGF-1
- Research
- Evidence is animal and cell-based only; there are no human efficacy trials
- Sport
- Prohibited by WADA at all times
- Evidence strength
- Low research
Summary
IGF-1 DES is a truncated IGF-1 analog sold as a research chemical. Learn what animal studies show, why human evidence is missing, and its FDA and WADA status.
What is IGF-1 DES?
IGF-1 DES (short for DES(1-3) IGF-1) is a modified version of insulin-like growth factor-1, missing its first three amino acids. That truncation reduces how tightly it binds the proteins that normally hold IGF-1 in check, making it more potent in laboratory systems. It is sold as a "research chemical" and used as a performance-enhancing drug for muscle growth; it is not an approved medicine.
How does it work?
IGF-1 DES acts on the IGF-1 receptor, the pathway that drives muscle protein synthesis and tissue growth. Because it is less bound by carrier proteins, it is proposed to have higher local activity than natural IGF-1. In rodents it improved nitrogen balance and reduced muscle protein breakdown, and it is used in cell culture as a high-potency growth stimulus. These are animal and laboratory findings. This describes the proposed mechanism, separate from proven outcomes in people. (A different, full-length IGF-1 product, mecasermin, is an approved drug for a rare growth disorder; IGF-1 DES is a separate, unapproved analog.)
Is it FDA-approved?
Safety note
Status: Non-FDA-approved IGF-1 analog sold as a research chemical / performance drug
Category: Wellness and performance · Primary body area: Bones & muscles
No. IGF-1 DES is not approved by the FDA; it functions as a research chemical and performance-enhancing drug with no approved compounding status. In sport, IGF-1 and its analogs are prohibited at all times under the WADA list.
What does the research show?
Editor’s note
Evidence strength: Low research
There is no human efficacy evidence; the muscle-growth rationale rests entirely on animal and cell studies.
The evidence is preclinical. According to PubMed, an animal study reported improved nitrogen balance and reduced protein breakdown, and the peptide is a standard high-potency reagent in cell-growth assays. There are no human clinical trials supporting muscle or performance use, so its marketed benefit is unproven in people.
Sources: an animal study of IGF-1 and protein metabolism (Martin et al., American Journal of Physiology, 1991, DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.1991.261.4.F626) and a review of performance peptides (Dominikowski et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2026, DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1822475), indexed on PubMed; and the WADA Prohibited List. This document is educational, is not medical advice or a health claim, and is not an offer to sell any product.
Registered human trials
0 registered human trials on ClinicalTrials.gov that we reviewed
Sources
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
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