Research compounds
Neuropeptide Y
NPY
Neuropeptide Y is a 36-amino-acid peptide and one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the mammalian brain. It is the most potent appetite stimulant known and sits at the centre of hypothalamic energy-balance regulation.
Also known as: neuropeptide tyrosine
- Status
- Neuropeptide Y is a research compound and not approved by the FDA for human use.
- Evidence
- Early human data. Only small or early-phase studies in people so far.
- Half-life
- Approximately 20 minutes in plasma.
- How it's taken
- Intracerebroventricular or intravenous in the research setting
- Mechanism
- Metabolic (non-incretin)
How Neuropeptide Y works
NPY is released by arcuate nucleus NPY/AgRP neurons and acts at Y1 and Y5 receptors to drive food intake, while Y2 receptors on the NPY neurons themselves act as inhibitory autoreceptors — which is the mechanism through which PYY 3-36 suppresses appetite. NPY also has substantial roles in stress resilience, anxiety regulation and sympathetic vasoconstriction, released alongside noradrenaline from sympathetic nerve terminals.
What research has looked at
- It is the endogenous counterweight to the satiety peptides, and understanding it explains how leptin, PYY and GLP-1 signalling converge on a single hypothalamic circuit.
- Substantial evidence links higher NPY levels to stress resilience, and it has been investigated as an anxiolytic and PTSD target.
- Y-receptor antagonists have been pursued as anti-obesity agents on the basis of this biology.
Evidence level: Early human data. Only small or early-phase studies in people so far. These are areas studied or reported, not promised effects.
Reported side effects and risks
- No NPY-based therapy has been approved for any indication, despite decades of interest as an obesity target. No regulator has approved it, the human evidence base is limited, and material sold under this name is research chemical supply with unverified identity, purity, sterility and dose accuracy.
- Its actions are receptor-subtype dependent and often opposing, so a systemic NPY effect is not predictable from any single pathway.
- It is a potent vasoconstrictor via Y1 receptors, with cardiovascular implications.
- It does not meaningfully cross the blood-brain barrier, so peripheral administration cannot reproduce the central effects that make it interesting.
Sources
- PubMed research on neuropeptide Y appetite stress resilience · NIH · National Library of Medicine
- DrugBank record for neuropeptide Y · DrugBank
- Active clinical trials for neuropeptide Y · U.S. National Library of Medicine
Track Neuropeptide Y in Peptide Vault
Log every dose, set reminders on your own schedule, rotate injection sites and keep your vials organized. Peptide Vault records what you enter. It doesn't recommend compounds or doses. iPhone, on-device.
Related compounds
Neuropeptide Y FAQ
What is Neuropeptide Y?
Neuropeptide Y is a 36-amino-acid peptide and one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the mammalian brain. It is the most potent appetite stimulant known and sits at the centre of hypothalamic energy-balance regulation.
How does Neuropeptide Y work?
NPY is released by arcuate nucleus NPY/AgRP neurons and acts at Y1 and Y5 receptors to drive food intake, while Y2 receptors on the NPY neurons themselves act as inhibitory autoreceptors — which is the mechanism through which PYY 3-36 suppresses appetite. NPY also has substantial roles in stress resilience, anxiety regulation and sympathetic vasoconstriction, released alongside noradrenaline from sympathetic nerve terminals.
Is Neuropeptide Y FDA approved?
No. Neuropeptide Y is a research compound and not approved by the FDA for human use. Evidence level: early human data. Only small or early-phase studies in people so far.
What is the half-life of Neuropeptide Y?
Reported half-life: Approximately 20 minutes in plasma.
How is Neuropeptide Y taken?
Intracerebroventricular or intravenous in the research setting.
What side effects have been reported with Neuropeptide Y?
Reported in the sources: No NPY-based therapy has been approved for any indication, despite decades of interest as an obesity target. No regulator has approved it, the human evidence base is limited, and material sold under this name is research chemical supply with unverified identity, purity, sterility and dose accuracy; Its actions are receptor-subtype dependent and often opposing, so a systemic NPY effect is not predictable from any single pathway; It is a potent vasoconstrictor via Y1 receptors, with cardiovascular implications; It does not meaningfully cross the blood-brain barrier, so peripheral administration cannot reproduce the central effects that make it interesting.
Educational summary compiled from the sources listed above. Not medical advice. Peptide Vault does not sell, source or recommend any compound. Talk to a qualified clinician before starting or changing anything.