Articles

Reference articles

Reference articles on research peptides, nootropics, skincare, hair and the markets around them: what trials and regulators say, with every claim sourced.

These pages explain evidence and rules. They are not price comparisons and not medical or investment advice.

Analysis

Cognitive enhancement tier list checked against evidenceA viral tier list ranks about 60 drugs and supplements for cognitive enhancement. We check each tier against labels, trials and reviews to see where it holds.
Dopamine Optimization Claims Check: What the Evidence SaysA viral graphic says what dopamine loves and hates. We test 21 claims against human PET and pharmacology studies and explain why ’optimizing’ it is vague.
Looksmaxxing tier list checked against the evidenceA viral tier list ranks 33 appearance interventions from S to D. We check each tier against regulator labels, trials and reviews to see where it holds.
Modafinil in nootropic tier lists: why rankings disagreeThree social-media lists put modafinil in tier D, under 'loves' or nowhere. Why individual rankings diverge, and what the published trials say about it.
Most 'cope' supplements tier list checked against evidenceA viral post ranks 28 supplements, peptides and prescription drugs from 'extremely cope' to 'somewhat cope'. We check status and best evidence for each.
What is looksmaxxing? Origin, risks and what the evidence saysA neutral explainer of looksmaxxing: where the term comes from, the range from skincare to surgery to unapproved drugs, and what clinicians and regulators say.

Hair

Finasteride for hair loss: evidence, risks and controversyFinasteride for male-pattern hair loss: label wording, trial results, sexual and mood side effects, FDA, EMA and MHRA actions, and a verdict on the D tier.
Oral minoxidil for hair loss: what the evidence showsOral minoxidil is approved only for severe high blood pressure. We checked the label, the randomized trials, the safety reviews and the C-tier claim.
Topical minoxidil for hair loss: what the evidence showsTopical minoxidil is an over-the-counter hair-loss drug. We checked the FDA labels, the main trials, the Cochrane review, side effects and a D-tier claim.

Hormones

Low-Dose Testosterone: What the Evidence and Labels SayWhat TRAVERSE and the T Trials found on testosterone therapy, what the FDA label and guidelines say, and why a social-media A-tier rating is not supported.

Markets

Eli Lilly (LLY) GLP-1 business: Mounjaro, Zepbound, FoundayoEli Lilly's incretin business from its filings: revenue by product, approval status, pipeline, manufacturing, LillyDirect pricing and its own risk factors.
GLP-1 Drug Prices in the US 2026: Self-Pay, Medicare, TrumpRxWhat Lilly and Novo Nordisk publish for US obesity-drug prices on 8 Nov 2026: self-pay lists, list-price cuts, Medicare Bridge terms and TrumpRx, with dates.
Hims & Hers: business model, compounded GLP-1s and regulationHow Hims & Hers makes money, what its filings say about compounded and branded GLP-1s, the FDA shortage dates, warning letters and the lawsuits on record.
Lilly vs Novo Nordisk GLP-1 market share: reported figuresLilly and Novo Nordisk GLP-1 sales for the nine months to 30 September 2026, company-cited prescription share, head-to-head trials, approvals and prices.
Novo Nordisk (NVO) GLP-1 business: Ozempic, Wegovy, CagriSemaNovo Nordisk's GLP-1 business from its filings: sales by product, oral Wegovy, CagriSema status, pricing, Lilly competition, patent and compounding risks.

Nootropics

Bromantane (Ladasten): evidence, Russian approval, dopingWhat bromantane is, what Russia approves it for, what Russian trials and rat studies found, the 1996 Olympic doping cases, and two tier-list claims checked.
Counterfeit modafinil: what regulators and labs have foundWhat MHRA, Health Canada, FDA, Swissmedic and Pangea reports say about fake and unregulated modafinil, what labs measured, and what remains unknown.
Modafinil and sleep deprivation: what the trials showSleep-deprivation trials of modafinil in soldiers, pilots and shift workers: sizes, comparators, funding, how long benefits lasted and what was not tested.
Modafinil history: from Lafon's lab to Provigil and genericsHow modafinil went from adrafinil at Lafon in 1974 to French registration in 1992, FDA approval in 1998, Teva and generics, with documented dates only.
Modafinil in healthy adults: study-by-study evidence reviewStudy-level review of modafinil in rested healthy adults: four reviews, nine trials, effect sizes by domain, null results, reported side effects and gaps.
Modafinil legal status by country: US, UK, EU, Canada, AustraliaPrescription and controlled-substance status of modafinil and armodafinil in 10 countries, read from official sources, with possession, supply and import.
Modafinil side effects and interactions: what the labels sayDocumented modafinil and armodafinil side effects, rash warnings, drug interactions, pregnancy registry data and dependence evidence, from FDA and UK labels.
Modafinil vs armodafinil: what the labels and trials showHow armodafinil, the R-enantiomer of modafinil, differs: US and EU approvals, pharmacokinetics, narcolepsy, sleep apnea and shift work trials, and safety.
Modafinil vs caffeine: what head-to-head trials showTen trials compared modafinil with caffeine; in sleep-deprived adults they performed similarly for hours. Sizes, designs, funding, limits and risks reviewed.
Modafinil: approved uses, evidence, legal status and risksWhat modafinil is approved for in the US, UK and EU, what trials show in healthy and sleep-deprived adults, its legal status, and documented risks.
Noopept: Evidence, Safety and Legal Status ReviewedWhat human and animal research shows for noopept (GVS-111), where it is a medicine and where it is not, safety data, and how two tier-list verdicts hold up.
Phenylpiracetam: Russian Approval, Evidence and Doping StatusPhenylpiracetam (fonturacetam, Phenotropil, carphedon): its Russian approval, what the small trials show, the WADA ban, US stance and two tier-list claims.

Peptides

AICAR (Acadesine) Research Overview: Trials, Status, DopingWhat AICAR is (not a peptide), what mouse studies and the acadesine heart-surgery and leukemia trials found, and its drug, research-use and WADA status.
AOD-9604 Research Overview: Trial Results, Status, WADAWhat AOD-9604 is, what rodent studies and six human trials found (including the failed 536-person obesity trial), and its FDA, GRAS and WADA status.
BPC-157 and Alcohol Damage: Checking the 2021 Rat Study ClaimA viral post says BPC-157 reverses alcohol damage body-wide in 30 minutes. What the 2021 rat study measured, what it did not, and where FDA and WADA stand.
BPC-157 Evidence: Human Studies, Brain Claims and FDA StatusWhat is shown for BPC-157: three tiny human reports, one research group behind most animal work, no cognition data in people, and where FDA and WADA stand.
Dihexa Research Overview: Rat Studies, a Retraction, No TrialsDihexa has rodent data, a retracted 2025 mechanism paper and no human trial. What the studies found, what FDA says, and how a B-tier ranking holds up.
GHK-Cu Evidence: Topical vs Injected and the 31.2% Gene ClaimWhat small human trials show for topical GHK-Cu, why none exist for injection, where the 31.2% of genes figure comes from, and how FDA and EU rules treat it.
HGH Fragment 176-191 and AOD9604: Research OverviewWhat HGH fragment 176-191 and AOD9604 are, what mouse and human trials found, why the obesity programme ended, and their FDA, WADA and Australian status.
Khavinson Peptide Bioregulators: What the Evidence ShowsEpitalon, vilon, vesugen and pinealon came from one St. Petersburg group. We read the human studies, telomerase work, authorship overlap and legal status.
Kisspeptin-10: What Human Studies Show and Its Legal StatusKisspeptin-10 raises LH in lab studies, but the IVF and sexual-desire trials used kisspeptin-54, and no product is approved. Studies, FDA, WADA and risks.
Melanotan I, II and afamelanotide: research and regulationWhat melanotan I, melanotan II and approved afamelanotide (Scenesse) are, what regulators say about unlicensed products, and what the case reports show.
MOTS-c Research Overview: Mouse Data, Human Trials, StatusWhat MOTS-c is, what mouse studies and the one CB4211 human trial found, what the FDA said in 2026, and how a viral 'very cope' ranking holds up.
Pinealon and the Huberman Sleep Claim: What the Evidence ShowsA viral post says Huberman called pinealon a six-hour-sleep fix. We traced the post, the pinealon studies, tesamorelin's label and each claim made.
Pinealon Research Overview: Every Study, Mechanism and GapPinealon is a Glu-Asp-Arg tripeptide. We list every cell, animal and human study we could open, who ran it, what is proposed, and what is unreplicated.
Selank Research Overview: Human Trials, Status and GapsSelank is a Russian tuftsin-derived peptide. What its three small trials, animal work and regulators show, and how two tier-list rankings hold up.
Semax research overview: evidence, Russian approval, US statusWhat Semax is, what Russia approves it for, what small human studies and rat work found, and where FDA and other regulators stand in November 2026.
Tesamorelin (Egrifta): Trials, FDA Label and Sleep ClaimsWhat tesamorelin is approved for, what its trials in HIV, liver fat and cognition found, and why no completed trial has tested it for sleep.
Vesugen (KED) Peptide Research Overview: Every Study FoundVesugen is the tripeptide Lys-Glu-Asp, studied for vascular effects. We list each cell, animal and human paper we opened, who ran it, and what is unreplicated.
Vilon (Lys-Glu) Peptide: Research Overview and Evidence GapsVilon is a Lys-Glu dipeptide from Khavinson's group. We list the cell, animal and human papers we opened, a mouse result that went wrong, and the gaps.

Regulation

Are Peptides Legal? Medicines, Research Use and Sport RulesWhether peptides are legal depends on the product type and the country. What FDA, Health Canada, MHRA, Austria's BASG and WADA say about each, with sources.
Compounded GLP-1 Drugs: FDA Rules for Semaglutide, TirzepatideHow US law treats compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide: sections 503A and 503B, shortage end dates, the 'essentially a copy' test, court cases and FDA data.
NAION and GLP-1 Drugs: FDA's 2026 Vision-Loss Warning ExplainedFDA now requires a NAION warning on GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. What studies found, in relative and absolute terms, and what is unknown.

Science

CagriSema and Novo Nordisk's obesity pipeline: what is publicWhat cagrilintide is, what REDEFINE 1, 2 and 4 reported, CagriSema's FDA status as Novo states it, and which other obesity assets have public data.
GLP-1 Weight Loss and Lean Mass: What the Trials ShowWhat STEP 1 and SURMOUNT-1 DXA substudies, MRI data and meta-analyses show about lean mass lost on semaglutide and tirzepatide, and where '40%' comes from.
Janoshik Test Reports Explained: What They Show and Do NotWhat a Janoshik report is, what a Czech press profile says about the lab, how verification works per third parties, and what a seller-commissioned test cannot show.
Myostatin Inhibitors and GLP-1 Drugs: A Claim-by-Claim CheckAn X article says myostatin inhibitors are the next GLP-1. We checked its claims against trials, FDA records and papers to see what holds and what is unknown.
Myostatin Inhibitors Explained: Drugs, Trials and StatusWhat myostatin inhibitors are, how each drug class works, where apitegromab, bimagrumab and others stand after trials, and why none is a muscle-building drug.
Orforglipron vs oral semaglutide: two oral GLP-1 pills comparedFoundayo (orforglipron) and the Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) compared: FDA status, ATTAIN, OASIS and PIONEER results, label food rules and safety data.
Peptide Certificate of Analysis: What It Proves and Does NotWhat HPLC purity, mass spec and a lab logo on a research peptide CoA show, what they leave out, and what published tests of online-bought products found.
Retatrutide Phase 3 results: what is public (Nov 2026)What Lilly and the journals have published on retatrutide: Phase 2 and Phase 3 results, safety signals, filing plans and what regulators say about it.
Retatrutide Side Effects: What Trials Actually ReportedAdverse events reported in retatrutide's Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials: nausea and other GI rates by dose arm, dysaesthesia, discontinuations, and what is unknown.
Semaglutide vs tirzepatide: what the head-to-head trials showSemaglutide vs tirzepatide: SURPASS-2 and SURMOUNT-5 results, FDA and EMA approved uses, label side effects and what no trial has compared yet.
Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide: What the Trials Show (2026)Tirzepatide vs retatrutide: how the two molecules differ, FDA status, the trials side by side, the head-to-head trial still running, and reported safety signals.

Skincare

Azelaic acid evidence: rosacea, acne and melasma trialsWhat trials, a Cochrane review and FDA and UK labels show for azelaic acid in rosacea, acne and melasma, and how a social post claim about it holds up.
Isotretinoin (Accutane): evidence, risks and regulationWhat isotretinoin is approved for, its birth-defect boxed warning and pregnancy programmes, acne trial and relapse data, and findings on mood, liver and IBD.
Korean vs US Sunscreen: What the Evidence Actually ShowsAre Korean sunscreens better than US ones? UV filters, SPF and PA testing, Consumer Reports results, absorption studies and skin cancer evidence, checked.
OTC Retinol vs Prescription Retinoids: What the Evidence ShowsRetinol, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tretinoin and tazarotene compared: conversion data, photoaging trials, US and EU rules, pregnancy statements and gaps.
Tazarotene vs Tretinoin: What the Evidence Shows in 2026Tazarotene vs tretinoin: what FDA labels cover, photoaging and acne trials, irritation, pregnancy contraindications, and how a viral post's claims hold up.
Topical Niacinamide: What the Skin Trials Actually ShowTopical niacinamide (vitamin B3) in human trials for acne, pigmentation, barrier, aging and rosacea, the ceramide claim checked, and oral skin-cancer data.
Vitamin C Serum Evidence: Photoaging, Pigment, HealingTopical vitamin C and the evidence: small randomized trials for photoaging and melasma, stability limits, regulation, irritation, and a look at vitamin E.

Supplements

Ashwagandha for stress, sleep and anxiety: what trials showAshwagandha trials, meta-analyses, liver injury reports and European regulator warnings checked against a 'cope supplement' tier list, with a verdict.
Creatine and Cognition in Healthy Adults: What Trials ShowWhat reviews and randomized trials show about creatine and cognition: brain biology, sleep-deprivation and vegetarian studies, kidney safety and EFSA's view.
High-Dose Melatonin: What the Evidence Actually ShowsMeta-analyses, label-accuracy tests and safety data checked against an S-tier 'high-dose melatonin' claim, with regulatory status in the UK, EU and US.
Lion's Mane and Cognition: What the Human Trials ShowLion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) and cognition: the small human trials and who funded them, fruiting body vs mycelium, NGF lab work, US and EU status, risks.
Phenibut: Evidence, Documented Harms and Legal StatusWhat phenibut is, where it is a prescription drug, what the thin evidence shows, the documented dependence and withdrawal cases, and its US legal status.