KPV: research, legal status and who sells it

What it is

KPV is the tripeptide lysine–proline–valine, the C-terminal end (amino acids 11–13) of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) [10]. It is one of the smallest sequences reported to have anti-inflammatory activity [10].

Research status

The evidence is laboratory and animal work [11][12]. In human intestinal and immune cells, KPV reduced inflammatory signaling through the NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways, and in two mouse models of colitis it reduced inflammation; the effect depended on uptake by the intestinal peptide transporter PepT1 [11]. Studies in human skin cells have examined how KPV signals [10]. FDA has not identified any human exposure data on drug products containing KPV, given by any route [12].

Regulatory status

KPV is not FDA-approved [1]. FDA staff reviewed it for wound healing and inflammatory conditions and recommended against adding it to the 503A compounding list [2]. FDA’s advisory committee voted 8–6 in favor in July 2026, but the vote is not binding and FDA has not added it [13][3]. No KPV medicine is authorized in the UK, the EU or Canada [4][5][7]. KPV is not named in Australia’s Poisons Standard [8] or on WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List, although WADA’s section S0 bans substances with no current approval for human therapeutic use [9].

Quality and testing considerations

FDA has encountered multiple salts and derivatives sold under the KPV name, and inconsistent naming makes it hard to know which substance a product contains [2]. With no approved product and no human data, independent identity and purity testing is the only check on a vial’s contents. KPV is also sold in multi-peptide blends, where each component needs to be identified separately.

Where it’s sold

KPV is sold online alone and in multi-peptide blends; the tables below track listings.