Peptides and kidney disease

Approved drugs come first in each group. This summarizes each compound’s own page; it isn’t medical advice, and a doctor or pharmacist can answer for a specific person.

From a product label 24

CerebrolysinApproved drug

LabelRuled out in severe kidney failure by the EU and Russian labels, although the EU label says no data suggest it harms the kidneys.

DSIPApproved drug

LabelNot studied in kidney disease, and the label gives no advice. It says blood enzymes break DSIP down quickly into amino acids and short fragments.

ExenatideApproved drug

LabelCleared mainly by the kidneys. Not recommended in severe kidney impairment or kidney failure; on dialysis, single 5 mcg doses caused stomach and gut side effects. The label urges caution after a kidney transplant.

GHRP-2Approved drug

LabelThe Japanese label gives no kidney advice. Only about 6% of an IV dose reached the urine in 24 hours, and 7 people with kidney impairment had no reactions after the test.

GlutathioneApproved drug

LabelThe label gives no kidney dose advice and credits glutathione with protecting the kidneys during cisplatin. Injected glutathione is partly cleared in urine.

GonadorelinApproved drug

LabelNo guidance in the UK label; gonadorelin is broken down in the blood within minutes and cleared in urine.

hCGApproved drug

LabelNo dose guidance. The labels urge caution with kidney disease because the testosterone it triggers can cause fluid retention.

L-CarnitineApproved drug

LabelThe IV form is approved for people on dialysis. Oral use hasn’t been evaluated in kidney impairment, and high oral doses can build up potentially toxic TMA and TMAO.

LiraglutideApproved drug

LabelVictoza’s label calls for no dose change, and moderate impairment was studied for 26 weeks; Saxenda’s notes limited experience at every stage. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys.

Melanotan 1Approved drug

LabelRuled out by the EU and Canadian labels in kidney impairment; the US label says the effect of kidney impairment on the drug is unknown.

OrforglipronApproved drug

LabelNo dose change: kidney impairment, even end-stage kidney disease, didn’t change drug levels. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, so the label says to check kidney function then.

OxytocinApproved drug

LabelNot studied in kidney impairment. The UK label urges caution in severe impairment because water retention and buildup of oxytocin are possible.

PT-141Approved drug

LabelNo dose change for mild to moderate impairment. With severe impairment (eGFR under 30), drug levels double and nausea and vomiting may be worse; the label advises caution.

SelankApproved drug

LabelNot studied in kidney disease, and the label gives no advice. It says tissue enzymes break Selank down within minutes, so neither the drug nor its breakdown products are found in urine.

SemaglutideApproved drug

LabelThe diabetes labels call for no dose change; drug levels were similar even in kidney failure. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, and Wegovy users with kidney impairment had more kidney side effects.

SemaxApproved drug

LabelNot studied in kidney disease, and the labels give no advice. They say Semax is broken down quickly in the blood and cleared in urine.

SS-31Approved drug

LabelNo change for mild or moderate impairment. Below a filtration rate (eGFR) of 30 without dialysis, exposure more than doubles and the adult dose is 20 mg; the label sets no dose for dialysis.

TesamorelinApproved drug

LabelNot studied: the label says how the body handles it in kidney impairment hasn’t been established.

ThymalinApproved drug

LabelThe Russian label says there are no data on dosing in kidney impairment.

Thymosin Alpha-1Approved drug

LabelNeither label gives kidney advice, and no study has looked at dose changes in kidney disease. It has been given to people on dialysis in small flu-vaccine trials.

TirzepatideApproved drug

LabelNo dose change; drug levels were unchanged even in kidney failure. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, so the labels say to check kidney function when that happens.

TriptorelinApproved drug

LabelThe labels give no dose change. With moderate or severe kidney impairment, exposure roughly doubled and the half-life rose from 2.8 to 6.6–7.7 hours after an IV dose.

VIPApproved drug

LabelInvicorp’s label says no formal studies have been done in kidney impairment. VIP’s action ends when enzymes break it down, with a half-life of minutes.

SermorelinHuman studies

LabelNo data, the former US label says; it wasn’t studied in people with kidney impairment.

From human studies 6

ARA-290Human studies

TrialNot studied: the diabetes trial excluded impaired kidney function, and one person with borderline function had a creatinine rise and stopped treatment.

CagrilintideHuman studies

TrialIn a single-dose study of 33 people, mild to severe kidney impairment didn’t change cagrilintide levels, safety or tolerability. Longer use in kidney disease hasn’t been reported.

LarazotideHuman studies

TrialNot studied in kidney disease; the long COVID trial excluded reduced kidney function. Taken by mouth, it acts in the gut and wasn’t detectable in blood.

MK-677Human studies

TrialIn a 3-month crossover trial in 22 people on hemodialysis, it raised IGF-1 with no serious side effects attributed to it. Longer use in kidney disease is unstudied.

TesofensineHuman studies

TrialNot studied in kidney disease, and trials excluded severe impairment. In modeling of 320 people with Alzheimer’s, women with reduced kidney function had 62% higher drug levels than men with normal kidneys.

Thymosin Beta-4Human studies

TrialNot studied: the ulcer gel trials excluded significant kidney disease. One person on the gel in a leg-ulcer trial had kidney failure; the cause wasn’t given.

A precaution, not studied 38

MazdutideApproved drug

PrecautionA drug-level study in 20 people with and without kidney impairment finished in 2023 but isn’t published. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, as with related drugs.

AOD9604Human studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In animal blood it breaks down within minutes; rats on high oral doses for 6 months had raised urea and creatinine at times.

ArgirelineHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. Lab tests suggest skin use puts little or none into the body.

CJC-1295 with DACHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; the trials enrolled only healthy adults.

DihexaHuman studies

PrecautionNo data. The prodrug’s Alzheimer’s trial excluded people with moderate to severe kidney disease.

GHK-CuHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. GHK broke down quickly in rat blood and is unstable in human plasma in lab tests; what happens to its copper in kidney disease is unknown.

GHRP-6Human studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease.

HexarelinHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease.

IpamorelinHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In rats, 60–80% left the body unchanged, mainly in urine.

Kisspeptin-10Human studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease.

LL-37Human studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and how the body clears injected LL-37 has never been measured.

MatrixylHuman studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; in lab tests on mouse skin, none passed fully through.

Melanotan 2Human studies

PrecautionNot studied. Case reports link it to kidney injury, and bremelanotide’s label advises caution in severe kidney impairment because side effects may increase.

NAD+Human studies

PrecautionNot studied. Infused NAD+ and its breakdown products are cleared in urine, and the one IV study excluded people with kidney failure.

RetatrutideHuman studies

PrecautionA drug-level study in severe kidney disease and kidney failure finished in 2023 but isn’t published. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, as with related drugs.

SNAP-8Human studies

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and no study has measured how much passes through skin.

SurvodutideHuman studies

PrecautionA drug-level study in mild to severe kidney impairment finished in 2025 but isn’t published. Vomiting or diarrhea can dehydrate and injure the kidneys, as with related drugs.

5-Amino-1MQPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; how the human body clears it is unknown.

AdamaxPreclinical

PrecautionNo data; Adamax has never been studied.

AHK-CuPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in anyone, including people with kidney disease.

BPC-157Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In animals it’s broken down into amino acids and cleared through urine and bile.

CartalaxPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; how the body clears it is unknown.

CJC-1295 (no DAC)Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease.

EpithalonPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in kidney disease. FDA found no data on how the body absorbs, breaks down or clears Epithalon.

Follistatin-344Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In rats, follistatin given into a vein left the blood within hours, mostly taken up by the liver.

FOXO4-DRIPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in kidney disease. It improved kidney markers in old mice, but how the body clears it hasn’t been measured in any species.

HGH Fragment 176-191Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in anyone, with or without kidney disease.

HumaninPreclinical

PrecautionNo human data. Studies have only measured the body’s own humanin in people with kidney disease; none has given it.

IGF-1 DESPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people. In rats with acute kidney injury it didn’t improve kidney filtration. IGF-1 is broken down by both liver and kidney, per the mecasermin label.

IGF-1 LR3Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people. In rats recovering from acute kidney injury, it worsened early kidney function. IGF-1 is broken down by both liver and kidney, per the mecasermin label.

KPVPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and FDA found no measurements of what happens to it in the body.

MGFPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and how the body clears it has never been measured.

MOTS-cPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and how the body clears it is unknown. In lab tests, enzymes in human blood quickly cut it into shorter fragments.

PE-22-28Preclinical

PrecautionNo human data; how the body clears it is unknown.

PEG-MGFPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease, and how the body clears it has never been measured.

PinealonPreclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; how the body clears it is unknown.

SLU-PP-332Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In aged mice it reduced signs of kidney strain, an animal result that says nothing about safety in people.

TB-500Preclinical

PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease. In horses and rats, it’s broken into smaller fragments that appear in urine.

Sources

Each answer comes from the compound’s own page, where its sources are listed.