Appetite: nootropics and compounds | sci-wiki

Orforglipron

Orforglipron is a non-peptide, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist taken as a once-daily pill. Eli Lilly is developing it (code LY3502970) for type 2 diabetes and obesity; it is not approved and remains in late-stage trials as of 2026. What makes it notable is the chemistry, not a new mechanism. Because it is a small molecule rather than a peptide, it is absorbed from the gut on its own, without an absorption enhancer and without the food and water restrictions that oral semaglutide requires. In phase 3 trials it lowered blood sugar and body weight meaningfully, though by less than the strongest injectables, with the gastrointestinal side effects typical of the class.

2 outlets

Peptide

Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist developed as a once-weekly injectable treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is a synthetic 39-amino-acid peptide that activates two gut incretin hormone receptors at the same time, and it is marketed under the brand names Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for chronic weight management. First approved in the United States in 2022, it has since been authorized for obstructive sleep apnea and studied across a range of cardiometabolic conditions.

5 outlets

Peptide

Retatrutide

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is an investigational once-weekly injectable peptide that activates three gut and pancreatic hormone receptors at once: the GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. Developed by Eli Lilly, it is being studied for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. In a Phase 2 obesity trial it produced substantial weight loss, and it has advanced into Phase 3 testing.

5 outlets

Nootropic

Tesofensine

Tesofensine is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor, originally investigated for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, that produced some of the largest weight losses reported for an appetite-suppressing drug. By simultaneously blocking the reuptake of dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin it curbs hunger and increases satiety, and it additionally silences appetite-driving GABAergic neurons in the hypothalamus. In a phase 2 obesity trial it produced weight loss roughly twice that of the obesity medications approved at the time, though that trial has carried an expression of concern over its adverse-effect reporting since 2013; it remains investigational, with cardiovascular effects among the safety considerations.

2 outlets

Supplement

5-HTP

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), also known by the international nonproprietary name oxitriptan, is a naturally occurring amino acid and a direct metabolic precursor in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Formed in the body from the amino acid tryptophan and then converted onward to serotonin, it is sold widely as an over-the-counter dietary supplement and has also been used medicinally in the management of depression and several other conditions.

2 outlets

Peptide

Cagrilintide

Cagrilintide is a next-generation, long-acting amylin analogue engineered for once-weekly dosing and sustained appetite control. In clinical trials it has driven substantial weight loss on its own and even greater results when paired with semaglutide, placing it among the most promising agents in modern metabolic medicine. For those pursuing serious, science-backed weight management, cagrilintide represents a genuinely novel and powerful mechanism.

3 outlets

Peptide

Capromorelin

Capromorelin is a potent, orally active ghrelin receptor agonist and the first appetite stimulant of its class to earn FDA approval. By mimicking the body's own hunger hormone, it reliably drives food intake, body-weight gain, and growth hormone release. It is a well-characterized, clinically validated tool for stimulating appetite and supporting healthy weight.

1 outlet

Supplement

Chromium Picolinate

Chromium picolinate is a coordination compound of trivalent chromium and picolinic acid that is sold as a dietary supplement. It is promoted mainly for blood sugar control, body composition, and weight management, on the premise that chromium supports the action of insulin. Systematic reviews of clinical trials have generally found the supporting evidence weak and inconsistent, and no chromium deficiency state is recognized in otherwise healthy people.

2 outlets

GLP-1

Dulaglutide

Dulaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a type of injectable medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes and to lower cardiovascular risk. Marketed by Eli Lilly under the brand name Trulicity and approved in 2014, it is a long-acting drug given as a once-weekly injection under the skin. It mimics a natural gut hormone that prompts the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high, while also curbing appetite. In addition to improving blood sugar control, it has been shown to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

1 outlet

Peptide

GHRP-2

GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic growth hormone secretagogue, a ghrelin-mimetic that binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) to trigger a pulse of the body's own growth hormone, and it also stimulates appetite and, to a lesser degree, ACTH and cortisol. Its growth-hormone response is reliable enough that it has been used clinically as a formal test of growth-hormone reserve, and it remains active by oral and intranasal routes. It is studied in the context of growth hormone deficiency, body composition, and recovery, and is used as a research peptide.

6 outlets

Peptide

GHRP-6

GHRP-6 is one of the original growth hormone-releasing hexapeptides, a ghrelin-receptor agonist that prompts a pulse of the body's own growth hormone along with a marked increase in appetite. A distinct and much-studied second property is growth-hormone-independent cytoprotection: acting through the scavenger receptor CD36, it has reduced oxidative damage and necrosis in animal models of myocardial infarction and other tissue injury. It is used as a research peptide and has been employed diagnostically in tests of growth-hormone secretion.

6 outlets

Peptide

Hexarelin

Hexarelin (examorelin) is a synthetic hexapeptide growth hormone secretagogue that binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) to trigger a potent, reproducible, and largely somatostatin-resistant pulse of endogenous growth hormone, an effect that is strongest in pubertal children and young adults and blunted in the very young and elderly. What distinguishes it from other secretagogues is a second receptor: hexarelin binds the cardiac scavenger receptor CD36, through which it exerts growth-hormone-independent cardiovascular actions, including protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, attenuation of post-infarction heart failure via PTEN and Akt/mTOR modulation, and CD36-PPAR-gamma signaling relevant to lipid and energy metabolism. Some growth hormone secretagogues, including hexarelin, additionally show angiotensin-converting-enzyme-inhibiting activity that may contribute to their vascular effects. As a result it is one of the most thoroughly characterized peptides in its class, studied both as a growth hormone provocative agent and as an experimental cardioprotective compound.

3 outlets

GLP-1

Liraglutide

Liraglutide is an acylated glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist given by once-daily subcutaneous injection, marketed as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda at higher dose for weight management. By activating GLP-1 receptors it augments glucose-dependent insulin secretion with low hypoglycemia risk, and its weight-lowering effect is attributed mainly to central appetite suppression rather than the more transient slowing of gastric emptying, which is subject to desensitization. Beyond glycemic control, the LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial showed that liraglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes, and further study demonstrated histological resolution of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. These extra-pancreatic actions across the cardiovascular, hepatic, and central nervous systems have positioned it as a foundational agent in the incretin therapeutic class.

1 outlet

Peptide

Mazdutide

Mazdutide (IBI362, LY3305677) is an investigational once-weekly peptide that simultaneously activates the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptors, a dual-agonist design intended to combine appetite suppression and improved glycemic control from the GLP-1 arm with increased energy expenditure and hepatic lipid handling from the glucagon arm. In Chinese phase 3 obesity trials it produced substantial, dose-dependent weight loss, with the GLORY-2 study reporting roughly 16 percent mean body-weight reduction at the 9 mg dose, alongside favorable changes in blood pressure and lipids. In type 2 diabetes it lowered glycated hemoglobin and body weight more than the GLP-1 monotherapy dulaglutide, and it improved fatty liver and cardiometabolic markers. Gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common adverse events, consistent with its incretin mechanism.

2 outlets

Nootropic

MCT Oil

MCT oil is a fat made of medium-chain triglycerides, usually the C8 (caprylic) and C10 (capric) fatty acids fractionated out of coconut or palm kernel oil. Unlike normal dietary fat, these shorter chains skip the lymphatic route and travel straight to the liver via the portal vein, where they're burned fast and partly converted to ketone bodies. That gives a quick alternative fuel for muscle and brain, a small bump in energy expenditure, and a mild satiety effect.

2 outlets

Growth Hormone

MK-777

MK-777, also styled Acetamoren, is marketed as an orally active growth hormone secretagogue in the same putative family as the well-characterized Ibutamoren (MK-677), and is presented as a ghrelin receptor agonist intended to amplify natural growth hormone and IGF-1 output. No published scientific record specific to MK-777 could be identified, so it is best regarded as an experimental compound whose rationale rests entirely on the biology of the growth hormone secretagogue class rather than on any direct evidence. For that class, non-peptide secretagogues acting at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor can restore youthful pulsatile growth hormone secretion and raise IGF-1, as demonstrated for MK-677. The citations here are provided as class-level context and do not characterize MK-777 itself; independent verification of its identity, potency, and safety is lacking.

1 outlet

Prokinetic

Prucalopride

Prucalopride is a selective, high-affinity agonist of the serotonin 5-HT4 receptor used to treat chronic idiopathic constipation. By stimulating this receptor in the wall of the gut, it promotes the coordinated muscular contractions that move stool through the colon, and it is generally reserved for people whose constipation has not responded adequately to laxatives. It was approved in the European Union in 2009 and by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2018, and is sold under brand names including Resolor and Motegrity.

1 outlet

Peptide

Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a class of drug that mimics a natural gut hormone to lower blood sugar and reduce appetite. Developed by Novo Nordisk, it is used to treat type 2 diabetes and, at higher doses, obesity and overweight, and it has been shown to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events. It is marketed as Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes and as Wegovy for weight management, given as a weekly injection or, in one form, an oral tablet.

3 outlets

Antidepressant

Mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant, often classified as a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA), used primarily to treat major depressive disorder. Rather than blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitters like most modern antidepressants, it works by blocking a set of receptors, which increases noradrenaline and serotonin signaling and produces marked sedative and appetite-stimulating effects. Introduced in the 1990s and sold under brand names such as Remeron, it is a prescription medicine available as a generic.

2 outlets

Peptide

Survodutide

Survodutide is an investigational once-weekly glucagon receptor and GLP-1 receptor dual agonist positioned at the frontier of next-generation metabolic therapeutics. By engaging two complementary pathways, it pairs powerful appetite suppression with increased energy expenditure to drive substantial weight reduction and striking improvements in liver health. In phase 2 and phase 3 trials it delivered double-digit body weight loss and reversed steatohepatitis in a majority of treated participants, marking it as one of the most closely watched dual agonists in development.

3 outlets

Growth Hormone

MK-677

MK-677, widely known as Ibutamoren, is an orally active, non-peptide growth hormone secretagogue that mimics the hunger hormone ghrelin at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor to amplify the body's own pulsatile production of growth hormone and IGF-1. In a two-year randomized controlled trial in older adults it restored growth hormone secretion into the young-adult range and significantly increased fat-free mass without serious adverse effects, and separate controlled studies show it raises IGF-1 in growth-hormone-deficient children, increases markers of bone turnover, and improves slow-wave and REM sleep. Because it is taken once daily by mouth rather than injected, it is among the most rigorously characterized compounds in the growth hormone space. Trials in frailer populations have been more equivocal, with the ghrelin-mimetic mechanism engaging its target reliably while functional and disease-modifying benefits, for example in hip-fracture recovery and Alzheimer disease, were not established; increased appetite, transient edema, and reduced insulin sensitivity are recognized effects.

5 outlets

Cannabinoid

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly abbreviated THC, is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. It belongs to a family of naturally occurring cannabinoids and, in its most common delta-9 form, produces the characteristic euphoria and altered perception associated with the plant. THC also has recognized medical uses, including relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea and stimulation of appetite, and it is available as the pharmaceutical dronabinol.

1 outlet

Nootropic

Amphetamine

Amphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant and the parent compound of a broad family of related drugs. In medicine it is used chiefly to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, where it improves attention, wakefulness, and impulse control by raising the brain's levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine [1]. It also has a long history of recreational misuse and a potential for dependence, and it is tightly regulated as a controlled substance in most countries [1].

Appetite

Orforglipron

Tirzepatide

Retatrutide

Tesofensine

5-HTP

Cagrilintide

Capromorelin

Chromium Picolinate

Dulaglutide

GHRP-2

GHRP-6

Hexarelin

Liraglutide

Mazdutide

MCT Oil

MK-777

Prucalopride

Semaglutide

Mirtazapine

Survodutide

MK-677

THC

Amphetamine

Dexmethylphenidate

Dextroamphetamine

Lisdexamfetamine

Methamphetamine

Methylphenidate

Serdexmethylphenidate

Adipotide

Akkermansia

Albiglutide

Amfecloral

Anandamide

ART27-13

ATHX-105

Cagrisema

Casein Protein

Chitosan

Chlorphentermine

CLA

CP-55,940

Dandelion Root

Desacyl Ghrelin

Dronabinol

E-6837

Eloralintide

Evodiamine

Exenatide

Fenfluramine

Fennel

Galanin-like Peptide (GALP)

Ghrelin

Gymnema Sylvestre

JWH-018

Ketone Ester

Nabilone

Norephedrine

Oleoylethanolamide

Petrelintide

Phentermine

Pramlintide

Rimonabant

Spexin

Tetrahydrocannabivarin

UBT-251

Xelstrym

Zylofuramine

Appetite

Orforglipron

Tirzepatide

Retatrutide

Tesofensine

5-HTP

Cagrilintide

Capromorelin

Chromium Picolinate

Dulaglutide

GHRP-2