Peptides for gut health
What’s been tested for the gut, from celiac disease to colitis, and the peptide drugs approved for gut conditions.
The short answer
Three peptide drugs are approved in the US for gut conditions, and none of them is a research peptide: linaclotide (Linzess) and plecanatide (Trulance) for chronic constipation and IBS with constipation, and teduglutide (Gattex) for short bowel syndrome in people who need IV nutrition.
Among research peptides, larazotide went furthest, into a phase 3 celiac trial that was stopped early; it was never approved. BPC-157’s one controlled human study, of enemas in colitis, was inconclusive, and most of its gut claims, like KPV’s, rest on animal studies.
16 uses on this site’s compound pages: 7 tested in people, 6 in animals only, 3 claims only.
Peptide drugs approved for the gut
- Linaclotide (Linzess) capsules: IBS with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation in adults.
- Plecanatide (Trulance) tablets: chronic idiopathic constipation and IBS with constipation in adults.
- Teduglutide (Gattex) injection, a GLP-2 analog: short bowel syndrome in people who depend on IV nutrition.
Tested in people 7
Studied in people, whatever the result: some worked, many didn’t or are unproven.
- BPC-157Preclinical
- TrialUlcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease). Not shown: in a 53-person placebo-controlled enema trial known only from a 2005 abstract, the difference from placebo could have been chance; FDA judged the data inadequate.
- LarazotideHuman studies
- TrialCeliac disease symptoms on a gluten-free diet. Mixed: in a 12-week trial of 342 adults with ongoing symptoms, 0.5 mg three times daily eased symptoms more than placebo; 1 and 2 mg didn’t.
- LarazotideHuman studies
- TrialCeliac disease: phase 3 outcome. Stopped: the CeDLara phase 3 trial (307 adults, 0.25 or 0.5 mg) was ended by its sponsor in July 2022 after an interim analysis. No results were posted; it was never approved.
- LarazotideHuman studies
- TrialProtection when gluten is eaten. Unproven: in gluten-challenge trials of 86 and 184 people (2–6 weeks), low doses limited symptoms and antibody rises were smaller, but gut permeability didn’t clearly change. It isn’t a substitute for the diet.
- IpamorelinHuman studies
- TrialGut recovery after bowel surgery. Not shown: in a 114-patient IV trial, a first solid meal came at 25.3 vs 32.6 hours on placebo, a gap that could be chance. A 320-patient trial (2014) hasn’t been published.
- OxytocinApproved drug
- TrialIBS and constipation. Not shown: in a 13-week trial of 59 women with hard-to-treat constipation, nasal oxytocin didn’t relieve constipation more than placebo, though belly pain eased slightly. An IV infusion raised the gut-pain threshold in 26 people with IBS.
- SemaxApproved drug
- TrialStomach ulcers. Unproven: among 32 adults with hard-to-heal peptic ulcers, 89.5% healed by day 14 with 10 days of nasal Semax added to usual drugs, vs 30.8% on usual drugs alone. No placebo.
Seen only in animals 6
Results in animals or cells only. Most treatments tested in animals never reach approval for people.
- BPC-157Preclinical
- AnimalStomach and gut lining protection. Unproven in people: in rats it reduced stomach and gut damage from high-dose painkillers such as aspirin and sped healing of surgically made colon fistulas (abnormal channels).
- KPVPreclinical
- AnimalUlcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Unproven in people: KPV in drinking water reduced colitis in two mouse models, and FDA found no study of KPV in humans for any condition.
- LarazotideHuman studies
- AnimalColitis, arthritis and fatty liver. Unproven in people: in mice and rats it lessened colitis, delayed arthritis onset, limited fatty liver and reduced gut leakiness in pancreatitis. None of these uses has been tested in human trials.
- IGF-1 LR3Preclinical
- AnimalGut growth and repair. Unproven in people: in rats, 2 weeks of infusion enlarged the gut by up to 43%, and it eased malabsorption after removal of most of the small bowel. Never tested for gut disease in humans.
- IGF-1 DESPreclinical
- AnimalGut recovery after bowel surgery. Unproven in people: in rats with 80% of the small bowel removed, it improved weight gain and protein balance over 7 days, matching IGF-1 given at 2.5 times the dose.
- GHK-CuHuman studies
- AnimalLung, gut and joint repair. Unproven in people: in mice it eased lung scarring and colitis, and in rats knee-ligament graft healing improved at 6 weeks but not at 12. None of these has been tested in humans.
Claims without data 3
Promoted by sellers, clinics or users, with no study behind the claim.
- BPC-157Preclinical
- CommunityGut health, IBS and ulcers. Unproven: FDA found compounding pharmacies, clinics and med spas promoting it for irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers and gut balance. No human study has tested it for these.
- KPVPreclinical
- CommunityGut inflammation and leaky gut. Unproven: no human study exists. FDA found websites selling it for gut health, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease as injections, capsules, creams and nasal sprays.
- LarazotideHuman studies
- No study“Leaky gut” in general. Unproven: it was designed to tighten the gut lining, but the larger celiac trials didn’t clearly reduce permeability, and no trial has tested it for leaky gut outside celiac disease or COVID-related illness.
Side effects
Every compound’s answer, from its label, studies or user reports: Can peptides cause diarrhea or constipation?, Can peptides cause nausea or vomiting?
Related
Immune and gut guide, BPC-157.
The same uses among all stomach and gut: evidence map. Every condition, A to Z: conditions A to Z.
Sources: Linzess, Trulance and Gattex prescribing information (DailyMed, 2024 to 2026); each compound’s answer from its own page, where its sources are listed.