Peptide half life chart: 21 human values, with sources

By Peptide Care Index · Updated October 2026

Semaglutide’s labeled half-life is about one week; tirzepatide’s is about five days. This peptide half life chart covers 32 selected records, including 21 numeric human values, in Peptide Care Index’s October 2026 review. The tables keep each route, formulation, and source attached—and explain why the other 11 records need a different answer.

What are the key peptide half-life facts?

• About one week: semaglutide’s elimination half-life in the Ozempic injection and oral-tablet prescribing information checked October 14, 2026. Oral administration does not make this systemic value shorter. 1 2
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• About five days: tirzepatide’s elimination half-life in the Mounjaro prescribing information, revised August 2026. 3
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• 5.8–8.1 days: estimated CJC-1295 half-life after subcutaneous administration in a 2006 study of healthy adults. The compound was the long-acting drug affinity complex (DAC) form. 18 32
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• 8 minutes for Egrifta SV; 11 minutes for Egrifta WR: mean tesamorelin elimination half-lives in the two labels’ healthy-subject, single-dose studies. Formulations and study doses differ. 12 13
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• 21 numeric human records out of 32 selected records: Peptide Care Index’s October 2026 register contains 15 numeric U.S. label records and 6 human-study or archived official records. The other 11 are 2 depot-profile records and 9 evidence-gap or unresolved records. This describes this collection, not all peptides. Download the register.
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What does the peptide half life chart show?

The medicine table contains 17 formulation records from prescribing information. Fifteen supply a numeric human half-life. Two describe depot exposure without a single half-life for that formulation. A depot releases medicine slowly from an injection site.

Read the exact row. Subcutaneous (SC) means under the skin. Intravenous (IV) means into a vein. Intramuscular means into a muscle. A number from one route, product, or population does not automatically describe another. PK means pharmacokinetics: how a substance enters, moves through, and leaves the body. PD means pharmacodynamics: what it does to the body.

Sources: linked prescribing information, section 12.3. All checked October 14, 2026. Original label revisions are listed under sources and in the CSV. These are reference formulations; inclusion does not establish current commercial availability.

These rows describe different endpoints and populations. Dulaglutide is a peptide-based fusion biologic. Lanreotide’s row describes a sustained-release formulation. This table is a time reference, not a comparison of effectiveness.

The time axis is logarithmic: equal gaps represent equal multiples of time. Range lines preserve the source ranges. Range-only records have no invented midpoint. Download PNG · Download SVG · Chart source index

Which research peptides have measured human half-lives?

Six additional records have numeric human values in original studies or archived official product information. Most of these measurements used an intravenous route. They do not establish the half-life of a subcutaneous clinic blend or a product sold under the same name.

Sources: original study abstracts for CJC-1295, ipamorelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6; archived official product information for GEREF 50; full study and Table 4 for NL005. All checked October 14, 2026. A study year is the year of that evidence, not the date we checked it.

GHRP-2’s ± figure is its reported standard deviation, a measure of spread. GHRP-6’s ± figures are kept as reported with their averaging across three dose levels. These are not minimum-to-maximum ranges across individual people. For GHRP-2, the editor’s unit conversion is 0.55 × 60 = 33 minutes. 20 21

GHRP-6 illustrates why the endpoint matters. The same intravenous study reported a 7.6 ± 1.9-minute distribution half-life and a 2.5 ± 1.1-hour elimination half-life. Distribution describes the early movement out of plasma; elimination describes the later decline. The two numbers answer different questions. 21

Which popular peptides still lack a usable human number?

Nine selected records remain nonnumeric in this register. Some have official reviews that did not identify human pharmacokinetic data. Others have an unresolved source trail or a limit in our own search. Not verified here does not mean zero half-life, no biological activity, or proof that no paper exists anywhere.

Sources: exact linked FDA records and our targeted primary-source search; checked October 14, 2026. Agency review dates and our check date are separate.

Human safety or treatment studies alone cannot fill a half-life cell. A study must measure the administered substance over time and report the relevant PK estimate. Similarly, in vitro means outside a living body, such as in a tube of human serum. It is not a measurement after a person receives the substance.

Why do BPC-157, TB-500 and CJC-1295 charts disagree?

The name on a chart may hide a change in species, chemical identity, route, or measured endpoint. Those changes can make two numbers look comparable when they describe different things. The source record is how you tell them apart.

BPC-157: animal half-life is not human half-life

The 2022 BPC-157 pharmacokinetic paper measured rats and beagle dogs. It reported half-lives below 30 minutes for the tested intravenous and intramuscular conditions. That is animal evidence, not a measured half-life in people. 24

FDA’s 2026 review discusses human rectal-enema studies in which plasma concentrations were undetected or mostly below the assay’s quantification limit. It found no human PK data for oral, subcutaneous, nasal, or transdermal administration in its review. Those records do not establish a usable human elimination half-life. 25

Stability in gastric fluid answers a different question from clearance in human blood. For the route-specific evidence, see BPC-157 capsules and oral research. For approval and access claims, see what FDA records say about BPC-157.

TB-500: keep the fragment separate from thymosin beta-4

FDA’s reviewed TB-500 substance is the seven-amino-acid Ac-LKKTETQ fragment. Full-length natural thymosin beta-4 contains 43 amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of peptides. A parent-peptide study cannot supply the fragment’s half-life. 26

The human NL005 study in Table 2 concerns a 44-amino-acid recombinant product. Its 0.5–2.084-hour span is the range across single-dose cohort estimates in Table 4. It is useful human research for that exact product, not a TB-500 number. 23

CJC-1295: the DAC modification changes the identity

The 2006 human study’s 5.8–8.1 days belongs to the long-acting DAC form. FDA’s review distinguishes that form from no-DAC forms and identifies the studied compound as DAC-GRF. DAC is commonly called the drug affinity complex. 18 32

Keep “CJC-1295 with DAC” and “modified GRF(1–29)/no DAC” in separate rows. The reviewed evidence does not support transferring the long-acting study number to a no-DAC product—or to an ipamorelin blend.

DSIP: show the source limit instead of hiding it

FDA’s 2026 DSIP briefing summarizes an 8-minute plasma half-life in its human-safety section. The section it points to describes animal findings and human-serum experiments outside the body. We did not verify a route-specific, in vivo human measurement behind that estimate in this audit. 33

The briefing also reports no PK information for the proposed subcutaneous route. We therefore keep the chart cell unresolved rather than treating the summary as a measured human SC value. That records a limit in the source trail; it does not establish that FDA’s summary is wrong.

Why can two formulations have different answers?

Tesamorelin’s Egrifta SV and WR labels report mean elimination half-lives of 8 and 11 minutes, respectively. Both estimates come from healthy subjects, but the formulations and single study doses differ. A generic “tesamorelin half-life” drops information the reader needs. 12 13

Source: each label, section 12.3; checked October 14, 2026. These are the historical study conditions behind the numbers, not instructions for use. The labels state that SV and WR are not substitutable.

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Depot formulations need the same care. Immediate-release Byetta has a 2.4-hour mean terminal half-life. The cited Bydureon BCise label instead describes plasma concentrations generally below its assay’s quantification limit about 10 weeks after stopping. That observation is not a 10-week half-life. 6 7

Likewise, the cited Sandostatin LAR label separates immediate-release octreotide PK from the depot’s slow release. It describes a plateau about 2–3 weeks after injection. A plateau time is not a half-life. 16

What does half-life mean—and how long does a peptide work?

A half-life describes a halving during a specified phase of the concentration curve. It is not the time until all of a substance disappears. It also does not directly measure how long a symptom change, hormone response, or other effect lasts.

The archived GEREF 50 information gives sermorelin an IV plasma half-life of 6–7 minutes, while describing a growth-hormone response lasting 2–3 hours. Those values can both be true because they measure different things. 22

Sources: the GHRP-6 study, GEREF 50 information and depot labels illustrate the phase, effect and release distinctions. Product information treats storage separately; the BCise source specifies an assay threshold rather than a half-life. 21 22 7 16 These terms explain why a single number cannot answer every “how long” question.

How much remains after five half-lives?

In a simple model where concentration halves at a constant rate, 3.125% of the starting concentration remains after five half-lives. After four, 6.25% remains. These are calculations, not measured clearance times for each peptide in this chart.

Source: Peptide Care Index calculation, 100 × (1/2)^n, where n is the number of half-lives; checked October 14, 2026. This assumes a single exponential phase with no continued absorption or new input. It does not account for repeated administration, slow-release depots, multiple phases, active metabolites, or assay limits. It does not set dosing, clinical washout, or drug-testing times.

How did we build and check this chart?

Peptide Care Index assembled 32 selected formulation and evidence records on October 14, 2026. We read original prescribing information, original research records, an archived official product document, and FDA evidence reviews. We did not run a clinical experiment or test a marketed peptide product.

We selected commonly searched care-related peptides and label examples that show why route and formulation matter. The collection is not a census of every peptide medicine or every research compound. The names, products and records included in the CSV define its scope.

For each record, we kept the exact substance or formulation, route, population, half-life endpoint, reported units, source location, evidence date, and check date. We preserved ranges and standard deviations separately. Blank numeric cells remain blank rather than becoming zero.

The 21 numeric human records comprise 15 label records and 6 additional human-study or archived official records. The 11 nonnumeric records comprise 2 depot descriptions and 9 evidence-gap or unresolved records. We count records, not distinct peptide molecules: semaglutide and tesamorelin each have more than one formulation row.

The publisher abstracts were sufficient to verify the displayed CJC-1295, ipamorelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 values and their displayed study context. We did not claim to inspect their complete participant-level data. The NL005 row was checked against the full paper and Table 4. The GHK-Cu gap is limited to our search; its linked FDA page supplies safety context, not proof of an absence.

To reproduce the chart, open each dataset source, find the recorded section or table, and compare the as-reported value before using the hours fields. Minutes are divided by 60; days are multiplied by 24; one week is 168 hours. Unit conversions do not add precision to the original estimate.

The first chart includes only the 15 numeric label records. The second uses L12 and L13. Both keep the source IDs that resolve in this page and the downloadable source index. No chart assigns a numeric value to an unresolved record.

We update this page when a new human PK study, label revision, formulation change, or corrected source trail changes an entry. The October 2026 date is the date of this review; it does not turn an older study into 2026 experimental data. Our research methodology explains the broader source rules.

What does the chart not establish?

This reference does not establish a product’s identity, purity, safety, benefit, availability, or approval status from its half-life. It does not show that an online seller’s preparation matches a studied product. A short half-life also does not justify more frequent use.

For studied uses and approval examples, use the separate peptide comparison chart. When checking an offer, keep its price and package conditions separate from PK evidence; the peptide price list does that comparison.

If you are checking a BPC-157, TB-500 or sermorelin offer, Find My Peptide Path helps you prepare questions about the exact product, current access evidence, and fees before you pay. Ask a qualified clinician or pharmacist to interpret PK for a treatment decision.

How can you cite or download this chart?

Publication: Peptide Care Index. Page: “Peptide half life chart: 21 human values, with sources.” Updated: October 14, 2026. Permanent URL: https://peptidecareindex.com/research/peptide-half-life-chart/

Peptide Care Index. Peptide half life chart: 21 human values, with sources. Updated October 14, 2026. https://peptidecareindex.com/research/peptide-half-life-chart/

For an individual number, cite its exact record anchor, such as Egrifta SV, and keep the primary source beside it. Credit Peptide Care Index for the compilation or calculations; credit the label or study for the measurement.

You may reuse our original table arrangement, calculations, and chart designs with credit to Peptide Care Index. Keep the underlying source credits and terms. This permission does not cover third-party text, figures, or logos.

• Download the complete CSV: 32 records
• Download the same records and source index as JSON
• Download the medicine chart as PNG or SVG
• Download the tesamorelin chart as PNG or SVG
• Download the chart source index

What else do readers ask about peptide half-life?

What is BPC-157’s half-life in humans?

The reviewed records do not establish a reliable human elimination value. The 2022 animal PK paper cannot supply one, and FDA’s 2026 review describes human enema concentration reports without a usable human half-life. An exact number for oral or SC BPC-157 needs a matching human PK source. 24 25

Is CJC-1295’s half-life five to eight days?

The 2006 study estimated 5.8–8.1 days for the long-acting DAC compound after SC administration. That result should retain its exact form and route. It is not the verified half-life of a no-DAC product. 18 32

What is ipamorelin’s half-life?

The 1999 human study reported a 2-hour terminal half-life after a 15-minute IV infusion. That is a real human finding. It does not establish the PK of an SC ipamorelin/CJC blend. 19

Is oral semaglutide’s half-life shorter than injected semaglutide’s?

The reviewed labels give both an elimination half-life of about one week. Route affects how medicine enters the body, while this value describes systemic elimination. Use each formulation’s own prescribing information for the rest of its PK. 1 2

Which peptide has the longest half-life in this chart?

Among the selected numeric label records, Somatuline Depot lanreotide has a 23–30-day sustained-release half-life. It is a depot-formulation value. This is not a finding about every peptide or a ranking of benefit. 17

Does five half-lives mean a peptide is completely gone?

No. The simple halving model leaves 3.125% of its starting concentration after five half-lives. Actual exposure and detection can follow a different pattern, so that calculation does not set a medical washout or testing window. See the assumptions.

Which sources support each record?

All sources below were checked October 14, 2026. Dates within an entry describe the source, not a new experiment. FDA briefing documents are evidence reviews for advisory meetings; they are not drug approvals.

1. S01 — Ozempic injection prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 05/2026 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

2. S02 — Rybelsus and Ozempic oral-tablet prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 1/2026 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

3. S03 — Mounjaro prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 08/2026 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

4. S04 — Victoza prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 10/2025 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

5. S05 — Trulicity prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 03/2026 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

6. S06 — Byetta label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision September 2025; DailyMed effective date September 2, 2025. Checked October 14, 2026.

7. S07 — Bydureon BCise label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 5/2025; DailyMed update May 28, 2025. Checked October 14, 2026.

8. S08 — Adlyxin prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision June 2022. Checked October 14, 2026.

9. S09 — Symlin label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 12/2019 (highlights). Checked October 14, 2026.

10. S10 — Forteo prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 08/2026 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

11. S11 — Tymlos label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 8/2026 (highlights). Checked October 14, 2026.

12. S12 — Egrifta SV label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Highlights revised February 2024; DailyMed updated July 29, 2026. Checked October 14, 2026.

13. S13 — Egrifta WR label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Highlights revised March 2025; DailyMed updated July 29, 2026. Checked October 14, 2026.

14. S14 — Vyleesi prescribing information. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Label revision: 03/2024 (cover). Checked October 14, 2026.

15. S15 — Sandostatin immediate-release injection label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Highlights revised July 2024; DailyMed effective July 22, 2026; record-end revision July 2026. Checked October 14, 2026.

16. S16 — Sandostatin LAR Depot label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Highlights revised July 2024; DailyMed effective December 22, 2025; record-end revision December 2025. Checked October 14, 2026.

17. S17 — Somatuline Depot label. Exact source. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics. Highlights revised July 2024; DailyMed effective October 11, 2024; record-end revision October 2024. Checked October 14, 2026.

18. R01 — CJC-1295 with DAC — Teichman et al.. Exact source. 2006; JCEM 91:799–805; original abstract Results. Checked October 14, 2026.

19. R02 — Ipamorelin — Gobburu et al.. Exact source. 1999; Pharmaceutical Research 16:1412–1416; original abstract Methods and Results. Checked October 14, 2026.

20. R03 — GHRP-2 — Pihoker et al.. Exact source. 1998; JCEM 83:1168–1172; original abstract, terminal beta half-life. Checked October 14, 2026.

21. R04 — GHRP-6 — Cabrales et al.. Exact source. 2013 issue; online 2012; original abstract, distribution and elimination parameters. Checked October 14, 2026.

22. R05 — GEREF 50 archived official product information. Exact source. Text revised May 2004, printed July 13, 2006; section 5.2. Checked October 14, 2026.

23. R06 — Recombinant thymosin beta-4 NL005 — Wang et al.. Exact source. 2021; J Cell Mol Med; introduction, methods and Table 4; DOI 10.1111/jcmm.16693. Checked October 14, 2026.

24. R07 — BPC-157 animal pharmacokinetics — He et al.. Exact source. 2022; Results and Tables 1–6; rats and beagle dogs. Checked October 14, 2026.

25. R08 — FDA BPC-157 briefing. Exact source. Staff evaluation May 11, 2026; Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data (PDF page 40). Checked October 14, 2026.

26. R09 — FDA TB-500 briefing. Exact source. July 2026 advisory-meeting briefing; chemical identity and Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data. Checked October 14, 2026.

27. R10 — FDA MOTS-c briefing. Exact source. July 2026 advisory-meeting briefing; Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data. Checked October 14, 2026.

28. R11 — FDA KPV briefing. Exact source. Staff evaluation May 12, 2026; Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data. Checked October 14, 2026.

29. R12 — FDA AOD-9604 briefing. Exact source. Staff evaluation November 5, 2024; Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data. Checked October 14, 2026.

30. R13 — FDA epitalon briefing. Exact source. July 2026 advisory-meeting briefing; Human Safety, Pharmacokinetic Data. Checked October 14, 2026.

31. R14 — FDA compounding safety-risk page. Exact source. Injectable GHK-Cu entry; safety context only, not a pharmacokinetic measurement. Checked October 14, 2026.

32. R15 — FDA CJC-1295 briefing. Exact source. December 2024 advisory-meeting briefing; chemical identities and human clinical-data sections. Checked October 14, 2026.

33. R16 — FDA emideltide (DSIP) briefing. Exact source. Staff evaluation May 11, 2026; nonclinical PK (PDF page 45) and human PK summary (PDF page 50). Checked October 14, 2026.

Peptide Care Index Research is the research and reference section of peptidecareindex.com.