How the rules work
EU medicines law starts from a definition, not a list. Directive 2001/83/EC treats as a medicinal product anything presented as treating or preventing disease, or that is administered to restore, correct or modify physiological functions. A peptide sold with claims about healing, fat loss or growth hormone meets the definition by presentation, whatever the label says about research. Article 6 then requires a marketing authorisation before any such product is placed on the market.
Authorisations for the peptides on LYO come through the EMA's centralised procedure: Ozempic (2018) and Wegovy (2022) for semaglutide, Mounjaro (2022) for tirzepatide, Victoza and Saxenda for liraglutide. Tesamorelin's EU application was withdrawn in June 2012 after the CHMP could not conclude a positive benefit–risk balance, and bremelanotide has never been filed. Retatrutide and cagrilintide are investigational and cannot be supplied outside clinical trials.
Enforcement is national. Each member state's medicines agency and customs service applies the directive through domestic law — Läkemedelsverket in Sweden, BfArM in Germany, ANSM in France — and coordinates through Europol. Operation SHIELD VI (April–November 2025, 30 countries) ended with 3,354 people prosecuted and €33 million of illicit medicines and doping substances seized.
Buying and importing for personal use
There is no EU-wide personal-import allowance; each country sets its own. Sweden is strict and typical of the north: a private person may receive medicines by post from another EEA country only for personal use, up to a year's supply, bought from a pharmacy, with a prescription where one is required, and only if the medicine is authorised both in Sweden and in the sending country. Receiving medicines by post from outside the EEA is not allowed at all, and Läkemedelsverket says it cannot grant exceptions. Since research peptides are authorised nowhere, none of them clears those conditions.
Other member states are looser in practice — customs in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain intercept less — but the legal position is the same everywhere: the seller commits an offence by supplying an unauthorised medicine, and the buyer has no consumer protection and no way to know what is in the vial.
Compound by compound
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
Ozempic (2018) and Wegovy (2022) authorised via the EMA. Grey-market vials and pens are unlicensed medicines.
No marketing authorisation anywhere; supply outside clinical trials is unlawful. Unlicensed pens were among the seizures in Europol's 2025 operation.
Mounjaro authorised via the EMA (2022; weight management added 2023). Grey-market versions are unlicensed medicines.
The Egrifta marketing authorisation application was withdrawn on 26 June 2012 after the CHMP could not conclude a positive benefit–risk balance.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
Permitted in cosmetics. Injectable products presented for human use are unauthorised medicinal products.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that. Epithalamin products are authorised in Russia only.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
In phase 3 (with semaglutide as CagriSema). No authorisation; supply outside trials is unlawful.
Authorised in Russia only. Supplying it for human use in the EU is an offence under national medicines law.
Authorised in Russia only. Supplying it for human use in the EU is an offence under national medicines law.
Vyleesi has no EU marketing authorisation. Vials sold online are unauthorised medicinal products.
Historic Geref authorisations have lapsed; no product is authorised today. Supply for human use is an offence.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.
Victoza (2009) and Saxenda (2015) authorised via the EMA; generics authorised from 2024.
Phase 3; no marketing authorisation. Supply outside trials is unlawful.
No EMA application. Products sold online as mazdutide are unauthorised medicines.
No marketing authorisation. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
Zadaxin is nationally authorised in Italy; no EU-wide marketing authorisation. Elsewhere in the EU it is an unauthorised medicine.
No marketing authorisation. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No EMA marketing authorisation. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
Oxytocin injection is authorised across the EU for obstetric use. A nasal spray (Syntocinon) was historically used for breastfeeding; general 'bonding' or weight use is off-label or unlicensed.
No marketing authorisation. National regulators (including in the UK and Nordic countries) have repeatedly warned against injectable melanotan sold online.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
No EMA authorisation. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
NR is an authorised novel food; NMN's food status is unsettled in the EU. Intravenous NAD+ for 'wellness' is an unlicensed medical use.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; a 'research use only' label does not change that.
No EMA marketing authorisation. Under regulatory review following the phase 3 programme.
Investigational; no EMA authorisation.
Multiple somatropin products authorised for growth-hormone deficiency and related indications. Supply for physique or anti-ageing use is outside the licence.
Authorised for fertility indications and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
Sold as a food supplement. No authorised injectable product for cosmetic use.
No marketing authorisation. Sold as a research reagent; supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No marketing authorisation in any member state; supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
Centrally authorised (Trulicity) for type 2 diabetes since 2014.
Centrally authorised for type 2 diabetes (Byetta 2006; Bydureon 2011).
National authorisations exist as a diagnostic and, in pump form, for hypothalamic infertility; there is no central authorisation. Use alongside testosterone replacement is off-label.
Centrally authorised (Scenesse) in 2014 under exceptional circumstances for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Tanning use is not authorised; injectable 'Melanotan' products are illegal.
Centrally authorised (Imcivree) 2021 for POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency obesity; 2022 for Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Genetic confirmation required.
No marketing authorisation anywhere. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No marketing authorisation in any member state. Sold online as a 'supplement', which it is not.
No central (EU-wide) authorisation. Where authorised, prescription-only and given by infusion.
Centrally authorised (Forsteo) since 2003; biosimilars since 2017.
Authorised in every member state for prostate cancer, endometriosis, fibroids and precocious puberty.
A marketing application was withdrawn; no EU approval.
Authorised in every member state (Sandostatin, LAR) for acromegaly, neuroendocrine tumours and other indications.
No marketing authorisation anywhere. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
No marketing authorisation anywhere. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law.
Permitted in cosmetics; no medicinal authorisation. Injectable products are unauthorised medicines.
Invicorp is licensed nationally in Denmark and others for erectile dysfunction; no authorisation for any other use.
Investigational only; orphan designation. Supplying it for human use outside a trial is an offence.
Investigational; no EMA authorisation at review.
Investigational.
Investigational.
No EMA application known at review.
Eladynos, centrally authorised December 2022 after a 2018 refusal.
Nasal spray marketing authorisations withdrawn following the EMA's July 2012 review; injectable use limited to short courses for Paget's disease, acute immobilisation bone loss and hypercalcaemia of malignancy.
Nationally authorised products (Minirin, Nocdurna and generics) across member states.
No marketing authorisation; supply for human use is unlawful.
No marketing authorisation.
Preclinical; supply for human use is unlawful.
Investigational.
Lyxumia authorised 2013; Suliqua (with insulin glargine) authorised 2017. Check availability of the standalone product, which Sanofi has discontinued in several markets.
Human insulins and analogues centrally authorised; some countries allow pharmacy sale of human insulin without prescription.
Sold as food; no authorised health claim for skin or joints under the EU claims register.
Sold as food; no authorised health claim.
No marketing authorisation.
No marketing authorisation; supply for human use is unlawful.
What changed, and when
- 26 Jun 2012Egrifta (tesamorelin) marketing authorisation application withdrawn in the EU.
- 2018 / 2022Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) authorised; Mounjaro (tirzepatide) authorised 2022.
- Apr–Nov 2025Europol Operation SHIELD VI: 3,354 prosecuted, €33 million seized across 30 countries.
- 1 Jun 2026EMA's first guideline on the quality of synthetic peptide medicines takes effect — a manufacturing standard, not an authorisation route for research peptides.
Questions
Is it illegal to buy BPC-157 in the EU?
Can I bring peptides into Sweden?
Is retatrutide approved in Europe?
Does a "research use only" label make a sale legal?
Sources
- 1
- 2Läkemedelsverket — Receiving medicines by post: rules for private individualsfragor.lakemedelsverket.se
- 3
- 4
- 5
LYO summarises the law for research and educational purposes. It is not legal advice; rules change and enforcement varies. Corrections through the contact page.