OtherPeptideEvidence B3 cited

Kisspeptin

Reproductive Hormone Peptide

aka Kisspeptin-54 · Kisspeptin-10 · metastin · KISS1 · KP-54 · KP-10 · intranasal kisspeptin

Research describes kisspeptin as a master hypothalamic regulator that triggers the reproductive hormone cascade via GnRH.

Molecular wt

1302.4g/mol

Formula

C63H83N17O14

CAS

374675-21-5

Half-life

28 min

established

Tmax

3 min

Route

Intranasal (also subcutaneous)

PubChem

25240297

Sequence

One-letter10 residues

YNWNSFGLRF

Three-letter

Tyr-Asn-Trp-Asn-Ser-Phe-Gly-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2

Read this before quoting the sequence

The chemistry recorded here is kisspeptin-10 (human), the C-terminal decapeptide KISS1(112-121), also called metastin 45-54, with a C-terminal amide. PubChem CID 25240297 and FDA GSRS KISSPEPTIN-10 (UNII FS1N52VS3S) both give YNWNSFGLRF. Important caveat: the human IVF trials cited in this record used kisspeptin-54 (metastin), the 54-residue cleavage product of the KISS1 precursor (UniProt Q15726, KISS1_HUMAN), which is a different molecule with different mass and CAS. Do not apply the kisspeptin-10 formula, mass or CAS to kisspeptin-54.

Source ↗

Mechanism of action

Kisspeptin binds to the GPR54 receptor on neurons in the hypothalamus, stimulating the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). This action triggers the pituitary gland to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are crucial for reproductive function. Kisspeptin also influences the production of sex hormones like testosterone and estradiol.

What the evidence actually shows

Grade B

Grade A: Multiple RCTs including 2025 double-blind crossover placebo-controlled trial (eBioMedicine/Lancet). Intranasal route demonstrated effective, non-invasive delivery via novel olfactory GnRH pathway. Works in healthy men, women, and hypothalamic amenorrhoea patients. PMID: 40215751.

Regulatory status

Status

Investigational; not approved in any jurisdiction. No marketing authorisation identified in Drugs@FDA or the EMA medicines register.

Clinical stage

Phase 2 completed for kisspeptin-54 as an oocyte-maturation trigger in IVF; investigator-led phase 1/2 studies in reproductive endocrinology.

WADA

Prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition), non-Specified. 2026 Prohibited List S2.2.1 'Testosterone-stimulating peptides in males' explicitly lists 'kisspeptin and its agonist analogues'.

research_compound

In the UK, kisspeptin is considered a research compound and is not approved for general medical use by the MHRA.

Source ↗

Pharmacokinetics

Half-life

28 min

Tmax

3 min

Absorption

intranasal

Elimination

renal

Washout

1 days

Low-confidence pharmacokinetics

These figures are recorded as established rather than measured in a published PK study. Treat them as an order of magnitude. Anything downstream of them — accumulation, steady state, washout — inherits that uncertainty.

Dosing — what backs each figure

Kisspeptin has substantial and well-documented human trial dosing, chiefly kisspeptin-54 at 9.6 nmol/kg subcutaneously as a single IVF trigger and kisspeptin-10 as subcutaneous infusions of 1.25-10 nmol/kg/h (or 150-180 nmol/h for 5-12 days). All of it is weight- or infusion-rate-based investigational dosing; kisspeptin is not approved and there is no established self-administered regimen.

ClinicalApproved labelling or a published human trial

Single subcutaneous injection of kisspeptin-54 9.6 nmol/kg given 36 hours prior to oocyte retrieval, with randomisation to a second identical dose or saline 10 hours later; the second dose improved the proportion of patients achieving >=60% oocyte yield (71% vs 45%)
62 women aged 18-34 at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome undergoing IVF (phase 2 randomised controlled trial) · subcutaneous
Abbara A et al. A second dose of kisspeptin-54 improves oocyte maturation in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a Phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2017;32(9):1915-1924 ↗
Three linked studies: (1) acute 8-hour subcutaneous kisspeptin-10 dose-response infusions at 1.25-10.0 nmol/kg/h; (2) continuous subcutaneous infusion at 180 nmol/h for 5 days; (3) daily intermittent 8-hour-on / 16-hour-off subcutaneous infusions at 150 nmol/h for 12 days. Plus a 1 nmol/kg kisspeptin-10 bolus to confirm receptor responsiveness at day 12
15 healthy men (study 1 n=7, study 2 n=4, study 3 n=7) plus 12 controls · subcutaneous infusion
Yeung AC et al. Chronic subcutaneous kisspeptin-10 stimulates gonadotropin secretion for 12 days in healthy men. Eur J Endocrinol. 2026;195(2):206-216 ↗

Commonly circulatedNot established by any study

Dose: Research literature cites microgram-range boluses/infusions
Frequency: 2-3x weekly

Why this isn't evidence
Human kisspeptin dosing is weight- or rate-based in nanomoles (9.6 nmol/kg subcutaneous single trigger dose, or 1.25-10 nmol/kg/h and 150-180 nmol/h infusions) delivered as one-off triggers or continuous/intermittent infusions, so the vague 'microgram-range' descriptor combined with a '2-3x weekly' schedule and the luteal-phase claim in dosingNotes match no published regimen.

This figure is shown because it is what circulates and what people search for — not because it is supported. Cycle lengths in particular tend to be convention copied between compounds rather than anything derived from a compound's own pharmacokinetics.

No established human dose

No approved label or completed human trial establishes a dosing regimen for this compound. Anything presented as a standard protocol for it — anywhere — is someone's convention rather than a finding.

Handling and storage

No compound-specific stability data exists

No compound-specific published stability data (temperature/duration for lyophilised or reconstituted material, light sensitivity, freeze-thaw tolerance) was located in any regulatory label, pharmacopoeial monograph or peer-reviewed source. Only generic lyophilised-peptide handling guidance exists, and generic guidance is not compound-specific; no specific figures are asserted here. Kisspeptin has no approved product in any jurisdiction. General peptide handling still applies — reconstitute gently, keep it cold, keep it dark — but any specific figure you see quoted for this compound elsewhere is someone's assumption, not a measurement.

→ Reconstitution walkthrough → Reconstitution calculator

Safety

Commonly reported

·Nausea
·Headache
·Flushing

Rarely reported

·Severe allergic reactions
·Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Contraindications

·Pregnancy
·Breastfeeding
·"Known hypersensitivity to kisspeptin"

Drug interactions

·GnRH analogs may alter the effects of kisspeptin by modifying baseline hormone levels

Generally well tolerated in studies

Reported combinations

Reported as synergistic

·L-arginine, which may enhance nitric oxide production and improve reproductive outcomes

Reported as antagonistic

·GnRH antagonists, which may counteract the effects of kisspeptin

Combination claims in this dataset are largely unsourced and should be treated as folk knowledge until a citation appears beside them.

References (3)

Abbara A, Jayasena CN, Christopoulos G, Narayanaswamy S, Izzi-Engbeaya C, Nijher GM, Comninos AN, Peters D, Buckley A, Ratnasabapathy R, Prague JK, Salim R, Lavery SA, Bloom SR, Szigeti M, Ashby DA, Trew GH, Dhillo WS (2015) Efficacy of Kisspeptin-54 to Trigger Oocyte Maturation in Women at High Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Therapy ↗
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and MetabolismPMID 26192876DOI
Phase 2 open-label randomised trial in 60 women at high risk of OHSS at Hammersmith Hospital: a single injection of kisspeptin-54 at 3.2, 6.4, 9.6 or 12.8 nmol/kg was used to trigger oocyte maturation, with retrieval 36 h later.
Abbara A, Clarke S, Islam R, Prague JK, Comninos AN, Narayanaswamy S, Papadopoulou D, Roberts R, Izzi-Engbeaya C, Ratnasabapathy R, Nesbitt A, Vimalesvaran S, Salim R, Lavery SA, Bloom SR, Huson L, Trew GH, Dhillo WS (2017) A second dose of kisspeptin-54 improves oocyte maturation in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a Phase 2 randomized controlled trial ↗
Human ReproductionPMID 28854728DOI
Phase 2 randomised placebo-controlled trial in 62 women at high risk of OHSS: a second dose of kisspeptin-54 given 10 h after the first improved oocyte yield; a single dose produces an LH surge of about 12-14 h.
Navarro VM (2020) Metabolic regulation of kisspeptin - the link between energy balance and reproduction ↗
Nature Reviews EndocrinologyPMID 32427949DOI
Review of kisspeptin/KISS1R signalling as the gatekeeper of GnRH release and its regulation by metabolic status.

Data provenance

Chemistry and citations on this page were checked against primary sources on 2026-08-14. Values that could not be verified were left blank rather than filled with a plausible guess.

Could not verify
storage.lyophilized, storage.reconstituted, storage.lightSensitive, reconstitution.solvent

Research use only

This profile is educational reference material. It is not medical advice, not a prescription, and not an endorsement of self-administration. Compounds discussed here are research chemicals and most are not approved for human therapeutic use.

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