Weight Loss · Reference
SLU-PP-332 Benefits: What the Research Actually Shows
This page takes each claimed benefit in turn and says what was studied, in what, and how much weight it can bear. It is organised by benefit, not by paper; for the chemistry, the dosing detail and the FDA position in full, read what is SLU-PP-332.

Treatments mentioned
The benefits claimed for SLU-PP-332, more endurance, an "exercise mimetic" effect on muscle, more fat burned for fuel, better insulin sensitivity and protection of the heart and kidney, all come from mouse and cell studies. There are no human trials of SLU-PP-332 of any phase, and no human pharmacokinetic data. The closest thing to human evidence is a 2025 pilot study in which muscle cells taken from people were treated in a dish. SLU-PP-332 is a small synthetic molecule, not a peptide, and at Pepti it is a compounded prescription injection; compounded medications are not FDA approved.
This page takes each claimed benefit in turn and says what was studied, in what, and how much weight it can bear. It is organised by benefit, not by paper; for the chemistry, the dosing detail and the FDA position in full, read what is SLU-PP-332.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
The short answer
| Claimed benefit | What the evidence is | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| More endurance, longer running | Mouse (ACS Chemical Biology 2023, with knockout animals; reproduced with the oral successor, JPET 2026) | Preclinical, but mechanistically rigorous |
| The aerobic-exercise gene program in muscle | Mouse and cell (2023; Ddit4 marker, JPET 2026) | Preclinical only |
| More mitochondrial capacity | Mouse muscle cell line (2023); human muscle cells in a dish (Frontiers in Physiology 2025) | Cell only |
| More oxidative muscle fibres | Mouse (2023) | Preclinical only |
| More energy expenditure and fat oxidation, less fat gained | Mouse (two obesity models, JPET 2024) | Preclinical only |
| Better insulin sensitivity | Mouse (metabolic-syndrome model, JPET 2024) | Preclinical only |
| Heart protection in heart failure | Mouse (pressure-overload model, Circulation 2024) | Preclinical only, disease model |
| A younger-looking ageing kidney | Mouse (21-month-old mice, American Journal of Pathology 2023) | Preclinical only |
| Steadier energy, more stamina | No direct study; prescriber reports | No direct evidence |
The honest summary of the table: a well-characterised mouse pharmacology story, some of it tested to a higher standard than most compounds in this category, and nothing measured in a person.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
What SLU-PP-332 is, in one paragraph
SLU-PP-332 is a small synthetic organic molecule, built around a naphthalene ring and a phenol, designed to switch on the estrogen-related receptors ERRα, ERRβ and ERRγ. Despite the name, those receptors do not bind estrogen; they sit on DNA and control the genes that build mitochondria, run oxidative phosphorylation and oxidise fatty acids. In muscle, heart and kidney they are among the main switches the body uses to adapt to aerobic exercise. SLU stands for Saint Louis University, where the compound came out of a collaboration between medicinal chemists and the pharmacology group of Thomas Burris, published in ACS Chemical Biology in 2023. It is not a stimulant, not a thyroid hormone, not a GLP-1 medication, and does not act on appetite. Every benefit below hangs off the ERR story.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 1: Endurance
What the research describes. This is the founding result. In the 2023 ACS Chemical Biology paper, mice given SLU-PP-332 ran further and for longer on a treadmill than untreated mice. The mechanism was tested with knockout animals: mice engineered to lack ERRα did not show the effect. A 2026 paper in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics reproduced the endurance finding with the group's orally active successor compound, SLU-PP-915.
Evidence type. Animal.
Strength. The most rigorous of the SLU-PP-332 findings, because the knockout test links the effect to a specific receptor. It remains a mouse result. Nobody has measured endurance in a person given SLU-PP-332, and exercise mimetics have a history of working in rodents and failing to translate.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 2: The exercise gene program in muscle
What the research describes. A single session of endurance exercise changes which genes muscle expresses in the hours afterwards. The 2023 paper reported that a dose of SLU-PP-332 in mice induced a strikingly similar set of genes, and that the response depended on ERRα. The 2026 JPET paper reported that one marker of that program, a gene called Ddit4, rose to levels matching or exceeding a treadmill run, depending on the muscle sampled. This is where the "exercise mimetic" label comes from.
Evidence type. Animal and cell.
What it means. The label describes a gene-expression pattern in mouse muscle. It does not mean the compound produces the full benefits of exercise, and the researchers who made it describe it as a candidate for people who cannot exercise adequately, not as a replacement for training in people who can. The 2026 JPET paper also reported that the oral successor's effect on mitochondrial gene expression was larger combined with exercise training than with either alone. How this compares with the other compounds sold under the same label is in MOTS-c vs SLU-PP-332 vs 5-Amino-1MQ.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 3: More mitochondrial capacity
What the research describes. ERRα and ERRγ, working with a coactivator protein called PGC-1α, control a large block of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, the electron transport chain, the Krebs cycle and fatty acid oxidation. In a mouse skeletal-muscle cell line, the 2023 paper reported increased mitochondrial function and cellular respiration after treatment.
The human angle. A 2025 pilot study in Frontiers in Physiology took muscle cells from inactive women during hip surgery and treated them with SLU-PP-332 in culture. The cells showed changes in mitochondrial and stress-response proteins. That is human tissue in a dish, and the authors call for further work before drawing conclusions.
Evidence type. Cell, including human cells.
Strength. The only benefit with any human material behind it, and that material is cultured cells, not a person taking the compound.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 4: More oxidative muscle fibres
What the research describes. Muscle fibres come in fast, glycolytic types that fatigue quickly and slower, oxidative types that keep going; endurance training shifts the balance toward the oxidative end. The 2023 work reported that treated mice had a higher proportion of type IIa oxidative fibres, the structural change the group proposed as the basis for the longer running times.
Evidence type. Animal.
Strength. One mouse study. Fibre type has not been measured in people given SLU-PP-332.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 5: Energy expenditure, fat oxidation and fat gain
What the research describes. The 2024 paper in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics moved from muscle to whole-body metabolism. In diet-induced obese mice and in ob/ob mice, treatment was reported to raise energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation, with less fat mass accumulated over the study. The authors' framing is that the compound shifts fuel preference toward fat, in the same direction regular aerobic exercise does.
Evidence type. Animal.
What it means. These are the results behind the compound's "weight loss" categorisation. They were measured in animals on controlled diets, at doses that do not map directly onto a compounded vial, and the mouse finding is less fat accumulated, not a measured loss in a person. SLU-PP-332 has no appetite mechanism. If losing weight is the main goal, semaglutide and tirzepatide have large randomised human trials with weight as the endpoint, and SLU-PP-332 has none. The best peptides for weight loss sets out the evidence gap plainly.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 6: Insulin sensitivity
What the research describes. The same 2024 JPET paper reported that insulin sensitivity improved in the metabolic-syndrome mouse model.
Evidence type. Animal.
Strength. One mouse model, and no human glucose or insulin data of any kind. Anyone taking a glucose-lowering medication should list it on the intake, because there is no interaction data.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 7: The heart, in a heart-failure model
What the research describes. A 2024 paper in Circulation, from a group outside the original lab, reported that in a mouse model of pressure-overload heart failure, ERR agonists improved ejection fraction, reduced fibrosis and improved survival, with the effect tracing mainly to ERRγ in heart muscle cells. It used functional, genetic and multi-omics readouts and is the most rigorous single study of the compound.
Evidence type. Animal, disease model.
What it means. It says nothing about the heart of a healthy person taking the compound for a metabolic reason, which has not been studied. It also cuts both ways: because the compound acts on the heart's fuel metabolism, anyone with a cardiac history should say so at intake. SLU-PP-332 is not a treatment for heart disease.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 8: The ageing kidney
What the research describes. A 2023 paper in the American Journal of Pathology reported that eight weeks of treatment in 21-month-old mice moved several age-related kidney measures, including albuminuria and inflammatory signalling, back toward those of younger animals, with no obvious harm reported.
Evidence type. Animal.
What it means. It is one of the few long-duration treatment studies, and the longest animal treatment on file, at eight weeks. It is a study of the ERRs as a caloric-restriction mimetic in old mice, not of SLU-PP-332 as a product, and it is not evidence of any kidney benefit in people.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Benefit 9: Steadier energy and stamina
What the research describes. Nothing directly. No study has measured energy, fatigue or stamina in people given SLU-PP-332.
What prescribers report. Steadier energy through the day is the earliest thing prescribers most often describe, if anything is reported at all; noticing nothing is also normal. The window prescribers point to for any change in stamina or body composition is weeks three to eight, on the reasoning that the animal fibre-type and fat-mass changes took weeks rather than days. These are patterns described by prescribers, not trial endpoints, and nobody can promise a timeline.
Evidence type. None direct.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
What the evidence does not establish
- That any effect seen in mice occurs in humans. That question is open.
- A human dose. The mouse doses were set by body weight and given intraperitoneally.
- An effect size or a timeline for any benefit above. Anything said about "results by week six" is guessing.
- Safety in humans over any duration.
- Efficacy for any condition as an approved treatment. SLU-PP-332 is not approved for anything.
The accurate framing: a well-characterised mouse pharmacology tool, with no human evidence in either direction. Any source describing it as shown to work in people is describing something that has not been published.
Where SLU-PP-332 stands with the FDA
As of September 2026, SLU-PP-332 does not appear in any category of the FDA's list of bulk drug substances nominated for compounding under section 503A, updated 14 May 2026. It has never been flagged on the FDA's significant-safety-risks page, it was not on the agenda when the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee met on 23 and 24 July 2026, and it is not among the substances announced for the next meeting. The FDA has not evaluated it in either direction. It is prepared by a licensed pharmacy for an individual prescription, and compounded medications are not FDA approved.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Side effects, in brief
| What is reported | What to do |
|---|---|
| Injection-site redness, mild soreness, occasional bruising | Rotate sites |
| Occasional early nausea or light-headedness | Tell your physician if it persists |
| A reaction that is severe, spreading, or involves difficulty breathing | Stop and contact your physician; call 911 for breathing difficulty |
There is no human safety data for SLU-PP-332. The mouse studies, including eight weeks in old animals, did not describe overt toxicity at the doses used. Two cautions are specific to it: ERRα is also a well-studied regulator of metabolism inside cancer cells, so a personal history of cancer belongs on the intake, and the compound acts on the heart's fuel metabolism, so a cardiac history does too. It is not used in pregnancy or breastfeeding. For tested athletes, WADA prohibits exercise mimetics and metabolic modulators as a class, detection methods were published in 2026, and the 2027 Prohibited List names SLU-PP-332 under S4.4; see do peptides show up on a drug test.
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
How Pepti supplies SLU-PP-332
| Product | What is in it | Directions | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLU-PP-332, vial | 5 mL multi-dose vial, 2 mg/mL (10 mg SLU-PP-332) | 0.25 mL (25 units) subcutaneously once daily Monday through Friday; 0.5 mg per dose, 20 doses, about 4 weeks | $229/mo |
It is a single vial only: not in a blend, and not a pen or capsule. It is injected because the published pharmacology reports that it lacks oral bioavailability. The price is all-in, covering medication, physician review, refill management and shipping, with no separate membership fee. Pepti is cash-pay and does not bill insurance. Vials are multi-dose solutions shipped ready to use, refrigerated with ice packs, with sterile syringes and alcohol prep pads. Refills run every 28 days, one vial per fill. Your physician sets your directions after reviewing your intake, and they are printed on the vial.
When something else makes more sense
| Situation | What makes more sense |
|---|---|
| Losing weight is the main goal | Semaglutide, from $99/mo, or tirzepatide, from $159/mo, which have large randomised human trials |
| You want a peptide rather than a small molecule | MOTS-c, $259/mo, a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for related pathways |
| Fat-cell metabolism is the interest | 5-Amino-1MQ, $219/mo, which works on the NNMT enzyme |
| Fatty-acid transport, with human data | L-carnitine, $219/mo |
| You compete in a tested sport | None of these; SLU-PP-332 is in a prohibited class |
SLU-PP-332 Benefits
Where to get SLU-PP-332 prescribed
SLU-PP-332 cannot be bought legitimately without a prescription. Sites selling it "for research use only" are not accountable for identity, purity, sterility or concentration. The prescription route:
- Complete a free online intake covering your history, medications and what you want help with.
- A physician licensed in your state reviews it, usually within 24 hours.
- If it is appropriate, a PCAB-accredited, FDA-registered US 503A compounding pharmacy prepares it to that prescription. Lot test results are published at /quality/lab-results.
- It ships refrigerated with your directions printed on the vial.
- Your physician stays reachable for questions and side effects.
Pepti prescribes SLU-PP-332 in every state except Oklahoma, plus DC The step-by-step page is how to get SLU-PP-332 prescribed online.
References
What this is based on.
References
- Billon C, Sitaula S, Banerjee S et al.. Synthetic ERRα/β/γ Agonist Induces an ERRα-Dependent Acute Aerobic Exercise Response and Enhances Exercise Capacity · ACS Chem Biol (2023) · PMID 36988910
- Billon C, Schoepke E, Avdagic A et al.. A Synthetic ERR Agonist Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome · J Pharmacol Exp Ther (2024) · PMID 37739806
- Xu W, Billon C, Li H et al.. Novel Pan-ERR Agonists Ameliorate Heart Failure Through Enhancing Cardiac Fatty Acid Metabolism and Mitochondrial Function · Circulation (2024) · PMID 37961903
- Wang XX, Myakala K, Libby AE et al.. Estrogen-Related Receptor Agonism Reverses Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Inflammation in the Aging Kidney · Am J Pathol (2023) · PMID 37717940
- Billon C, Appourchaux K, Côté I, Burris TP. An orally active estrogen receptor-related receptor agonist, SLU-PP-915, enhances aerobic exercise capacity · J Pharmacol Exp Ther (2026) · PMID 41421047
- Bonanni R, Falvino A, Matticari A et al.. Targeting ERRs to counteract age-related muscle atrophy associated with physical inactivity: a pilot study · Front Physiol (2025) · PMID 40692696
- Avliyakulov NK, Sobolevsky T, Ahrens E. Analysis and Identification of In Vitro Metabolites of Exercise Mimetic SLU-PP-332 ERRα/β/γ Agonist for Doping-Control Purposes · Drug Test Anal (2026) · PMID 41688415
- Okda HE, Zhao P, Hayes M et al.. Chemical optimization of the exercise mimetic SLU-PP-332 enables insight into estrogen-related receptor signaling · Int J Biol Macromol (2026) · PMID 41850449
- Möller T, Krug O, Thevis M. In Vitro Metabolism and Analytical Characterization of SLU-PP-332 and SLU-PP-915: Novel Pan-ERR Agonists With Doping Potential · Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom (2026) · PMID 41588687
Citations are provided for educational purposes. They do not constitute medical advice. Always discuss any peptide protocol with your prescribing physician.
Common questions
SLU-PP-332 Benefits, answered.
In mice, SLU-PP-332 was reported to increase endurance, switch on the aerobic-exercise gene program in muscle, increase oxidative muscle fibres, raise energy expenditure and fat oxidation with less fat gained, improve insulin sensitivity in a metabolic-syndrome model, and protect the heart and kidney in disease and ageing models. None of these has been tested in a person.
It is described as switching on the estrogen-related receptors, ERRα most potently, which control the genes for building mitochondria and burning fat for fuel. In mouse muscle, that produced a gene pattern resembling a bout of endurance exercise.
That is the label its makers used, because in mice it switched on the same gene program that endurance exercise does. It describes a mechanism in animals, not the full benefits of exercise in a person, and it is not a substitute for training.
There is no human study of weight with SLU-PP-332. Mouse studies reported higher energy expenditure and less fat mass gained in two obesity models. It has no appetite mechanism. If losing weight is the main goal, semaglutide and tirzepatide have the human trial evidence.
In mice, yes: treated mice ran further and longer on a treadmill, and mice lacking ERRα did not. Endurance has not been measured in people taking it.
No study has measured energy in people given SLU-PP-332. Steadier energy is the earliest thing prescribers sometimes describe; others notice nothing. It is not a stimulant.
No. There are no published human trials of any phase and no human pharmacokinetic data. The nearest thing is a 2025 pilot study on human muscle cells in a dish.
No. It is a small synthetic molecule that binds the estrogen-related receptors. It is grouped with peptides because it is prescribed, compounded and injected through the same channels.
No study has compared them. Both are described around mitochondrial metabolism and both rest on animal evidence. MOTS-c is a peptide acting through AMPK; SLU-PP-332 is a small molecule acting through the ERR receptors. See MOTS-c benefits and what is MOTS-c.
No. Compounded medications are not FDA approved, and SLU-PP-332 is not an approved drug. As of September 2026 the FDA has not evaluated it in either direction: it is on no 503A list and has not been before the advisory committee.
Yes. WADA prohibits exercise mimetics and metabolic modulators as a class, detection methods were published in 2026, and the 2027 Prohibited List names SLU-PP-332 under S4.4.
At Pepti, SLU-PP-332 is $229 a month, all-in, covering medication, physician review, refill management and shipping.
No. Bloodwork is not required for any Pepti treatment. If your physician wants labs for your care, they'll ask through your account. The free assessment goes to a physician licensed in your state. A consultation does not guarantee a prescription.
Next step
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A licensed physician in your state reviews your intake and decides what is appropriate. A consultation does not guarantee a prescription.


