Peptide Glossary — Australia
Plain-English peptide definitions covering different Australian regulatory pathways. Registered GLP-1 medicines use standard ARTG-product prescriptions. Each entry links to the full profile with cost, indications, and cautions.
- Weight managementAOD-9604
- Evidence limitations and individual safety require clinical assessment. Registration and lawful supply must be checked; this information is not a treatment recommendation. Read regulation and safety profile
- Unapproved peptideBPC-157
- Research findings do not establish an individual clinical benefit. Evidence limitations, adverse effects and Australian regulatory status require careful assessment. Read regulation and safety profile
- GH secretagogue blendCJC-1295 + Ipamorelin(CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin)
- Research findings do not establish an individual clinical benefit. Evidence limitations, adverse effects and Australian regulatory status require careful assessment. Read regulation and safety profile
- Copper peptide — skin & repairGHK-Cu
- Research findings do not establish an individual clinical benefit. Evidence limitations, adverse effects and Australian regulatory status require careful assessment. Read regulation and safety profile
- GH secretagogueIpamorelin
- Research findings do not establish an individual clinical benefit. Evidence limitations, adverse effects and Australian regulatory status require careful assessment. Read regulation and safety profile
- Mitochondrial peptide — metabolicMOTS-c
- 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide investigated for metabolic and insulin-sensitivity support. Read regulation and safety profile
- Unapproved peptide fragmentTB-500
- Research findings do not establish an individual clinical benefit. Evidence limitations, adverse effects and Australian regulatory status require careful assessment. Read regulation and safety profile
- GLP-1 / GIP weight managementTirzepatide
- Dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist; registered prescription products only. Read regulation and safety profile
Regulatory terms
Plain-English definitions of the Australian regulatory terms used across this site. They describe how the rules work in general; they are not legal or medical advice.
- ARTG (Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods)
- The TGA's public database of therapeutic goods that can be lawfully supplied in Australia. An ARTG entry covers a specific product for specific uses; a substance with a similar name sold elsewhere is not covered by that entry.
- Prescription-only medicine (Schedule 4)
- A medicine that a pharmacist can only supply on a valid prescription from an authorised prescriber. Scheduling is set under the Poisons Standard and controls who can access a substance and how.
- Unapproved therapeutic good
- A medicine or other therapeutic product that is not on the ARTG. The TGA has not evaluated it for safety, quality or effectiveness, and it can only be lawfully supplied through a specific exemption, approval or authority.
- Special Access Scheme (SAS)
- A TGA framework that lets a health practitioner access an unapproved therapeutic good for a single patient. Category A is a notification pathway for seriously ill patients, Category B needs TGA approval before supply, and Category C is a notification pathway for goods with an established history of use.
- Authorised Prescriber
- A medical practitioner the TGA has authorised to supply a specified unapproved therapeutic good to a defined group of patients with a particular condition. Authorisation usually needs endorsement from a human research ethics committee or a specialist college.
- Personal Importation Scheme
- TGA conditions under which a person may import some unapproved therapeutic goods for their own use, generally no more than three months' supply at a time. Prescription medicines also need an Australian prescription, and some substances are excluded or need an import permit.
- Compounding
- The preparation of a medicine by a pharmacist for a particular patient. Compounded medicines are not individually assessed by the TGA, and some substances cannot be lawfully compounded.
- Ahpra
- The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Ahpra works with the national boards, including the Medical Board of Australia, to register health practitioners, and it publishes a public register that anyone can search.
- Off-label prescribing
- Prescribing an approved medicine for a use, age group or route that isn't included in its approved product information. It is a clinical decision for the treating doctor and is subject to professional standards.
- Research-only label
- Wording such as "not for human use" or "for research purposes only". It does not make a product lawful to use, and it does not show that the product's identity, purity or quality has been checked.
- Telehealth consultation
- A consultation by video or phone with a registered health practitioner. The Medical Board of Australia expects the same standard of care as an in-person consultation.
- Adverse event
- An unwanted or harmful effect that happens after using a medicine. Anyone can report a suspected adverse event to the TGA, which uses reports to monitor the safety of therapeutic goods.
Questions about treatment suitability should be discussed with a registered doctor. How consultations work.