Question 1

What is the A-E evidence grade?

Accepted Answer

A = strong human evidence (licensed medicine and/or systematic reviews of RCTs). B = moderate human evidence. C = limited human evidence. D = animal/cell evidence only. E = theoretical / insufficient. Plus R for regulatory risk and S for sport-doping risk. See /evidence-grading-methodology.

Question 2

Why does the evidence grade matter more than the marketing?

Accepted Answer

Marketing claims are not constrained by evidence; the grade is. An E-graded peptide with strong claims online is a red flag — the marketing is running ahead of the data.

Question 3

Are animal studies enough to prove a peptide works in humans?

Accepted Answer

No. Animal evidence is hypothesis-generating; many compounds that work in rodents do not translate to humans. Animal-only evidence is graded D for that reason.

Question 4

What is a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

A structured synthesis of all published evidence on a question, using transparent quality-appraisal methods. Cochrane reviews are the best-known examples. Systematic reviews of human RCTs are the strongest evidence we cite.

Question 5

What is a randomised controlled trial (RCT)?

Accepted Answer

An experiment where participants are randomly assigned to receive the intervention or a control (placebo or comparator), reducing bias. RCTs are the strongest single-study design for proving cause and effect in humans.

Question 6

What is observational evidence?

Accepted Answer

Study designs where the researcher observes outcomes without randomising — cohort studies, case-control studies, case reports. Useful for safety signals; weaker than RCTs for proving efficacy.

Question 7

What does 'mechanistic' evidence mean?

Accepted Answer

Evidence that explains HOW something might work biologically (receptor binding, cell signalling, animal models). Mechanistic plausibility is not the same as clinical benefit. Many mechanistically interesting compounds fail clinical trials.

Question 8

What is publication bias?

Accepted Answer

The tendency for studies with positive results to be published more often than null or negative studies. It inflates the apparent evidence base for many interventions. Independent replication and pre-registered trials help mitigate it.

Question 9

Why do you flag 'Russian-licensed' evidence specifically?

Accepted Answer

Russian clinical evidence for compounds like Selank, Semax, and Cerebrolysin exists but has not been independently replicated to Western Phase 3 standards. Russian-jurisdiction licensing does not equal MHRA / NICE approval.

Question 10

How does Peptide Authority decide what's enough evidence?

Accepted Answer

We follow the hierarchy in our /editorial-standards — RCTs and systematic reviews over observational, observational over case reports, human evidence over animal, animal over cell, none of that over theory. We label uncertainty explicitly rather than hiding it.

Peptide evidence — frequently asked questions

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Peptide evidence — frequently asked questions

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