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Biolivon
Signalling peptide

KPV

Also known as Lys-Pro-Val, α-MSH(11-13)

The C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-MSH, studied for anti-inflammatory activity.

PreclinicalPeptide ScienceSkin and Hair Science
Human studies
0
Trials tracked
0
Preclinical
1
Safety signals
2
Last reviewed
11 Aug 2026
Reviewed by
Not yet reviewed

A well-defined fragment with a coherent anti-inflammatory rationale and a reasonable animal literature, particularly in gut and skin inflammation models. Human evidence is what is missing. It has appeared in US compounding-category discussion, which is a stage in an evaluation and not an approval of any kind.

This dossier has not been reviewed yet. Our editorial board is not appointed. Every page is supposed to carry a named scientific and medical reviewer with declared conflicts, and until that is true this page has had no expert check — treat it accordingly. We would rather say so than print a name-shaped placeholder where a person should be.
KPV is not an approved medicine for human use in the jurisdictions listed below. This page summarises research. It is not a recommendation, and it contains no dosing or administration guidance. If you are considering anything described here, discuss it with a qualified clinician.
On this page

What it is

A tripeptide corresponding to the last three residues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Unlike the parent hormone it carries no pigmentation activity, which is the point of using the fragment.

How it is proposed to work

Proposed anti-inflammatory action through interference with NF-κB signalling and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, possibly independent of melanocortin receptors. Its small size is central to the oral and topical rationale.

Approved medical uses

None. KPV has no approved human medical indication in the jurisdictions we track. Any use is outside an approved label.

Human research

Each entry states what the study found and, separately, what it cannot show.

No adequate published human research. This absence is the reason for the evidence grade above — it is not a gap we can fill with animal data.

Preclinical research

Animal and laboratory work. Useful for generating hypotheses; it cannot establish that something works in people.

  • Animal2008

    Oral KPV in two mouse models of colitis

    Finding. Oral KPV, given in drinking water, "reduces the incidence of DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis indicated by a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression", with inflammation assessed at the histologic level and by pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression. In the accompanying cell work, "Nanomolar concentrations of KPV inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB and MAP kinase inflammatory signaling pathways, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion", and the authors report that "KPV acts via PepT1 expressed in immune and intestinal epithelial cells".

    Limitation. Two chemically induced mouse colitis models (DSS and TNBS) plus cultured human intestinal epithelial lines (Caco2-BBE, HT29-Cl.19A) and a human T-cell line (Jurkat); there is no human data here, chemically induced rodent colitis models translate poorly to human inflammatory bowel disease, and no adequate human trial exists. This is an intestinal inflammation study only — the paper contains no skin model. The authors go no further than concluding that KPV "might be a new therapeutic agent for IBD"; no clinical efficacy is shown.

Potential safety concerns

  • CautionInsufficient

    No adequate human safety dataset.

  • CautionEstablished

    Inflammatory bowel and skin conditions have treatments with real outcome evidence. Substituting an untested peptide risks under-treating a condition that causes cumulative damage.

Known interactions and contraindication considerations

  • Uncharacterised in humans.

This list is not exhaustive and is not a substitute for a clinician reviewing your full medication history.

Regulatory status

Status is shown per jurisdiction and is accurate only as of the date stated. Where a compound is approved, the approval is bound to a specific formulation, manufacturer and indication — shown in the detail column.

United States
FDA
Under consideration
as of 11 Aug 2026

Has appeared in compounding-category discussion. We are stating no committee outcome: the primary record was not retrievable, and the secondary accounts in circulation contradict each other on basic details.

European Union
EMA
Unapproved / investigational
as of 11 Aug 2026

No marketing authorisation.

India
CDSCO
Unapproved / investigational
as of 11 Aug 2026

Not approved for human use. A first-time synthetically manufactured peptide falls under the new-drug pathway.

How it is being used

What the grey community actually runs, the reasoning they give, and our read on whether it follows from known biology. This is observation, not evidence, and not a recommendation.

No community use documented for this compound yet. Absence here means our editorial team has not reviewed and verified a pattern — not that none exists.

Active clinical trials

No registered trials currently tracked for KPV.

Search all tracked trials

What remains unknown

The questions that would change our assessment if they were answered.

  • Does oral administration deliver an intact tripeptide anywhere useful?
  • Does the animal anti-inflammatory effect occur in humans at all?

References

  1. 1.Dalmasso G, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Nguyen HT, Yan Y, Sitaraman S, Merlin D. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(1):166-78.PMID 18061177doi

Editorial change history

When we change a grade or a regulatory note, we log it here rather than editing quietly.

  • Dossier created. Compounding-committee vote details excluded as unverifiable.

Spotted something wrong? Tell us — we publish corrections.