Pain · Investigational
Dermorphin
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
Dermorphin is a heptapeptide opioid agonist originally isolated from the skin of South American Phyllomedusa frogs. It is a selective mu-opioid receptor agonist and, in rodent studies, shows higher antinociceptive potency and efficacy than morphine (PMID 8981054).
A naturally occurring D-amino acid at the second position of the N-terminal sequence contributes to its metabolic stability and receptor interaction (PMID 11090917). Its receptor selectivity has made it a valuable research tool for studying opioid receptor pharmacology.
02 · Research summary & key findings
Studies in rodents and primates have demonstrated potent analgesia, and chronic exposure experiments in rats and mice suggest less tolerance and dependence than morphine (PMID 8981054). Some dermorphin peptides cross the blood-brain barrier and produce central antinociception after peripheral administration (PMID 8981054). A randomized, placebo-controlled study of intrathecal dermorphin in postoperative pain was reported in 1985 and found it superior to placebo and to morphine, but the compound was never developed further and remains largely a laboratory tool (PMID 30538538).
03 · Regulatory status
Dermorphin is in the investigational stage. While preclinical and early-phase data exist, it has not received regulatory approval for clinical use in the United States.
No lawful pathway today
Dermorphin is not FDA-approved and does not currently have a lawful prescription or compounding pathway in the United States, so we do not sell it and will not book a consultation for it. That can change: in 2026 FDA began reviewing several peptides for compounding. If you are working on the goal it is studied for, a licensed clinician can tell you what is lawfully available, which may be something else.
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Looking for a lawful, clinician-prescribed option for injury recovery and tissue repair?
Dermorphin is an investigational compound, is not FDA-approved, and has no lawful US compounding pathway, so we do not offer it and no clinician we work with will prescribe it. Products sold online as “research chemicals” are not made or tested to the standards required of medicines. If you are working on injury recovery and tissue repair, a licensed clinician can tell you at a free consultation whether an FDA-approved or lawfully compounded treatment fits you, or whether nothing does.
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04 · Administration routes
- Intracerebroventricular
- Subcutaneous injection
References
- [1]Pharmacology of amphibian opiate peptides Peptides, 2000. PMID 11090917
- [2]Rediscovery of old drugs: the forgotten case of dermorphin for postoperative pain and palliation J Pain Res, 2018. PMID 30538538
- [3]The dermorphin peptide family Gen Pharmacol, 1996. PMID 8981054
Primary literature
- PubMed: "Dermorphin"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "Dermorphin"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "Dermorphin"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
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