Which peptides come as a nasal spray?
FAQNo compound on this site has an FDA-approved nasal spray. Approved peptide sprays outside it show how little crosses the nose: 2.8% for nafarelin and 3.3–4.1% for desmopressin by label. Oxytocin, PT-141, kisspeptin and glutathione have human nasal trials with mixed results; most sprays sold for research have no nasal study.
On this page
Nasal forms, compound by compound
| Compound | Form | Status of that form | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | nasal spray | human trials; Swiss authorization; US application discontinued | Human RCT |
| PT-141 | nasal spray | human trials; only the injection is approved; sold by 11 vendors | Human RCT |
| Kisspeptin | nasal spray | human trials; sold by 2 vendors | Human RCT |
| Glutathione | nasal spray | human trials | Human RCT |
| GHRP-2 | nasal spray | human trials | Human RCT |
| Sermorelin | intranasal | one pharmacokinetic study of intranasal sermorelin; the controlled sleep and memory studies used GHRH, fragment not stated; no treatment trial | Human Observational |
| Hexarelin | intranasal | human trials | Human Observational |
| GHRP-6 | intranasal | human trials | Human Observational |
| Semax | nasal drops | on Russia's drug register; one human trial; sold by 17 vendors | Human Observational |
| Selank | nasal drops | on Russia's drug register; sold by 19 vendors | route not stated in human abstracts read |
| DSIP | intranasal | one human report (a letter); sold by 10 vendors | Human Observational |
| Epitalon | intranasal | animal only (rats); sold by 3 vendors | Animal Model |
| GHK-Cu | intranasal | animal only (mice); sold by 5 vendors | Animal Model |
| Semaglutide | intranasal | laboratory formulation work only | In Vitro |
| BPC-157 | nasal spray | research market only; sold by 5 vendors | none found |
| TB-500 | spray | research market only; sold by 5 vendors | none found |
| KPV | spray | research market only; sold by 4 vendors | none found |
| MOTS-c | spray | research market only; sold by 4 vendors | none found |
| VIP | nasal spray | research market only; sold by 3 vendors | none found (an inhaled form has a trial) |
| Melanotan II | nasal spray | research market only; one 2025 case report | Human Observational |
| NAD+ (not a peptide) | nasal spray | research market only; sold by 13 vendors | none found |
The status describes the nasal form only. Only 3 of the 71 vendors used the word "nasal" in a product title, so a spray listing is not necessarily a nasal one; one is sold as an oral spray. Melanotan I and II sprays were counted together, at 9 vendors.
Do nasal peptide sprays work?
Where a spray has been measured, a small fraction reaches the blood. The nafarelin and desmopressin labels report 2.8% and 3.3–4.1%. In human studies of growth-hormone secretagogues, intranasal hexarelin produced about 4.8% of the growth-hormone response of an intravenous dose, and intranasal sermorelin's bioavailability was "only 3-5%". Those products and studies compensated with dose: a 1993 study needed about 50 micrograms per kilogram of intranasal sermorelin to match the response to 1 microgram per kilogram injected into a vein.
Effects in trials are mixed. Intranasal kisspeptin raised luteinizing hormone against placebo in a 2025 trial, and intranasal GHRP-6 raised night-time growth hormone in a 1999 study. Intranasal GHRP-2 raised growth hormone in children but did not improve their growth over 48 weeks, a 42-trial meta-analysis of intranasal oxytocin found a small non-significant effect on symptoms, and a phase IIb trial of intranasal glutathione found neither dose better than placebo.
For what is reported about sermorelin's adverse effects at these doses, see sermorelin side effects.
Approved peptide sprays outside this site's compound list
Desmopressin (Stimate and generic sprays), nafarelin (Synarel), calcitonin salmon (generic sprays, 3–5% relative to an intramuscular dose by label) and glucagon (Baqsimi, a nasal powder) are FDA-approved nasal peptide products. The Baqsimi label reports peak glucagon levels at around 15 minutes, which is the speed advantage the route offers.
How nasal absorption compares with pills and injections, label by label, is set out in peptide pills vs nasal sprays vs injections.
Sources
Primary
- Synarel prescribing information, DailyMed set d0aa57cb-d2f4-46d7-af43-7c8b06aa81a6 → — 2.8% nasal bioavailability
- Stimate prescribing information, DailyMed set f5ada39c-20ed-4500-9dce-1e4ab642a358 → — 3.3–4.1% nasal bioavailability
- Calcitonin salmon nasal solution prescribing information, DailyMed set a6eaedb3-5c96-4859-be43-a48c9c818bc7 → — 3–5% relative to intramuscular
- Baqsimi prescribing information, DailyMed set 32ba41fa-4158-40af-8cb2-03693c248994 → — peak glucagon at around 15 minutes
- Ghigo E et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994 (PMID 8126144) → — hexarelin 4.8% intranasal
- Wilton P et al. GHRH(1-29)-NH2 intravenous or intranasal. Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993 (PMID 8329825) → — sermorelin 3–5% intranasal, 50 µg/kg vs 1 µg/kg
- Perras B et al. Intranasal GHRH in young and aged humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1999 (PMID 10451909) → — double-blind crossover of intranasal sermorelin
- Mills EG et al. Intranasal kisspeptin. EBioMedicine 2025 (PMID 40215751) → — luteinizing hormone rise against placebo
- Frieboes RM et al. J Neuroendocrinol 1999 (PMID 10336729) → — intranasal GHRP-6
- Tanaka T et al. Intranasal GHRP-2 spray. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol 2014 (PMID 25374440) → — 126 children, 48 weeks, no growth benefit
- Bonnieux J et al. Intranasal oxytocin meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2026 (PMID 42134427) → — 42 trials, small non-significant effect
- Mischley LK et al. Phase IIb intranasal glutathione. J Parkinsons Dis 2017 (PMID 28436395) → — neither dose superior to placebo
- Diamond LE et al. Intranasal PT-141. Int J Impot Res 2004 (PMID 14963471) → — intranasal PT-141 trial
- Serdiuk AV et al. Semax in motor neuron disease. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr 2007 (PMID 18379501) → — intranasal Semax in 27 patients
- Hruz P et al. Intranasal DSIP increases P300. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2001 (PMID 11763019) → — the one human intranasal DSIP report
- Yassin Alsabbagh A et al. Melanotan II nasal spray and oral mucosal melanoma. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2025 (PMID 40210573) → — case report
Secondary
- Sibarov DA et al. Intranasal epitalon in rats. Neurosci Behav Physiol 2007 (PMID 17955380) → — epitalon nasal work in rats
- Tucker M et al. Intranasal GHK in 5xFAD mice. Aging Pathobiol Ther 2024 (PMID 40766919) → — GHK-Cu nasal work in mice
- Intranasal semaglutide nanocarrier formulation. Int J Pharm 2026 (PMID 42669320) → — laboratory formulation work on nasal semaglutide
For the other common questions about research peptides, see the questions hub.
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Research use only. Not medical advice.