Dermatology · Investigational
Leuphasyl (Pentapeptide-18)
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
Leuphasyl is a synthetic pentapeptide (Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu) modeled on the N-terminal sequence of enkephalin. It is described as a neuromodulatory peptide intended to reduce wrinkle formation by inhibiting neurotransmitter release at the nerve-muscle junction (PMID 41722287).
Its proposed enkephalin-like presynaptic mechanism comes mainly from supplier data and has not been independently confirmed in peer-reviewed electrophysiology studies. It is used as a topical cosmetic ingredient for expression lines.
02 · Research summary & key findings
Independent research is largely computational and cell-based: docking and simulation studies predicted interactions with skin-aging targets such as matrix metalloproteinases, and pentapeptide-18 showed no toxicity to skin keratinocytes in culture (PMID 42116636, PMID 41722287). In a study of cosmetic creams containing retinol and pentapeptide-18 in lipid nanoparticles, the products reduced the number of facial wrinkles, though the peptide's separate effect was not isolated (PMID 39459512). No independent placebo-controlled trials of pentapeptide-18 alone have been published, and the claimed reduction in miniature endplate potentials has not been reported in peer-reviewed literature.
03 · Regulatory status
Leuphasyl (Pentapeptide-18) 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
Leuphasyl (Pentapeptide-18) 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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Leuphasyl (Pentapeptide-18) 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 longevity and healthy ageing, 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
- Topical
References
- [1]Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies Life (Basel), 2024. PMID 39459512
- [2]Pentapeptide-18 as an anti-aging candidate: Spectroscopic characterization and molecular interaction analysis Comput Biol Chem, 2026. PMID 41722287
- [3]Integrative In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Vialox and Leuphasyl Pentapeptides for Antiaging Applications Chem Biodivers, 2026. PMID 42116636
Primary literature
- PubMed: "Leuphasyl"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "Leuphasyl"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "Leuphasyl"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
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