Every number on this page is either our own original search-demand analysis or a figure tied to a primary source you can click. Journalists, newsletter writers, and researchers are free to cite any of it with attribution to Peptivoice. We refresh the page monthly, and when a figure is an estimate we say so instead of dressing it up.
Search demand: what people actually look for (Peptivoice original data)
Our keyword dataset (Google Keyword Planner and Semrush, US, pulled August 2026) shows dosing math, not shopping, at the center of peptide search behavior. These are our own analyses; cite them as 'Peptivoice keyword analysis, August 2026'.
| What people search | US monthly searches | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Peptide calculator cluster | 201,000 to 301,000 | Tool-level intent; people are doing syringe math |
| Retatrutide cluster (all queries) | 1,000,000+ | A not-yet-approved drug out-searching many approved ones |
| "retatrutide dosage" | ≈49,500 | Dosing questions before availability |
| GHK-Cu queries | ≈165,000 | The biggest gray-market skincare crossover |
| PT-141 queries | ≈73,600 | Sexual-health peptide demand |
| "peptide therapy near me" | ≈9,900 (CPC $2-8) | Local clinic demand advertisers pay real money for |
The demand signal that matters most for safety: hundreds of thousands of people per month are trying to convert milligrams to insulin-syringe units on their own, which is exactly where the FDA has documented dosing errors with compounded GLP-1s.
GLP-1 usage and market size
- About 1 in 8 US adults (12%) said in May 2024 they had taken a GLP-1 drug, and about 6% were current users (KFF Health Tracking Poll).
- Semaglutide products (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) generated over $20 billion in 2024 sales (Novo Nordisk annual results).
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) passed $15 billion in combined 2024 sales in its second full year (Eli Lilly annual results).
- Analyst estimates put the global peptide therapeutics market in the tens of billions of dollars, with projections that roughly double it by the early 2030s. Treat any precise figure from market-research decks skeptically; the range is what is defensible.
What the trials actually showed
| Trial | Drug | Headline result |
|---|---|---|
| STEP 1 (NEJM 2021) | Semaglutide 2.4 mg | -14.9% mean body weight at 68 weeks |
| SURMOUNT-1 (NEJM 2022) | Tirzepatide 15 mg | -20.9% mean body weight at 72 weeks |
| Retatrutide Phase 2 (NEJM 2023) | Retatrutide 12 mg | -24.2% mean body weight at 48 weeks |
| TRIUMPH-1 Phase 3 topline (2026) | Retatrutide 12 mg | -28.3% mean body weight; 45.3% of participants lost 30% or more |
| SELECT (NEJM 2023) | Semaglutide 2.4 mg | -20% major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with overweight/obesity, no diabetes |
Each successive multi-agonist generation has moved the ceiling by roughly 4 to 7 points of body weight. SELECT matters for a different reason: it moved GLP-1s from cosmetic framing to cardiovascular prevention, which is reshaping insurance and legality debates.
What it costs (published US prices, August 2026)
| Route | Typical monthly cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy list price | ≈$1,349 | Before insurance or savings programs |
| Zepbound list price | ≈$1,060 | Before insurance or savings programs |
| LillyDirect self-pay vials | $349 to $499 | Manufacturer's direct cash lane |
| Compounded semaglutide via telehealth | $199 to $349 | Narrowed legal lane post-shortage |
| GLP-1 telehealth memberships (8 platforms we review) | $74 to $549 | Medication sometimes included, sometimes extra |
The 10x spread between the list price and the cheapest telehealth lane is the single biggest driver of the compounding gray market, and of the traffic to cost-comparison content.
The gray market and safety numbers
- Calls to US poison centers about semaglutide rose roughly fifteen-fold between 2019 and 2023, to nearly 3,000 in 2023 (America's Poison Centers).
- The FDA has documented dosing errors with compounded injectable semaglutide, including patients drawing 5 to 20 times the intended dose because of mg-to-units confusion (FDA safety communication).
- The FDA placed BPC-157, ipamorelin, and other popular gray-market peptides in Category 2 of the 503A bulk-substances evaluation: substances with significant safety risks and no lawful compounding route (FDA).
- Independent lab analyses of 'research use only' peptide vials sold online repeatedly find mislabeled doses and, in some cases, different substances than advertised. No US regulator inspects these products before sale.
How to cite this page
Cite the primary source for any third-party figure (they are all linked below), and cite Peptivoice for the search-demand analyses and the telehealth pricing table, which are our original compilations. If you need the next update before we publish it, email hello@peptivoice.com and we will flag it to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use these statistics in an article or newsletter?
Yes, all of it, with attribution. Third-party figures should cite their primary source (linked on this page); the search-demand and pricing compilations are Peptivoice originals and can be cited as such.
How often is this page updated?
Monthly, alongside our retatrutide FDA tracker refresh. Each figure keeps its as-of date, and estimates are labeled as estimates.
Where does the search data come from?
Google Keyword Planner and Semrush, US market, pulled August 2026, cross-checked against each other. Where the two sources disagree we publish the range rather than picking the flattering number.
Primary sources
- KFF Health Tracking Poll, May 2024: the public's use of GLP-1 drugs
- Novo Nordisk investor relations (annual results)
- Eli Lilly investor relations (annual results)
- STEP 1: semaglutide in obesity (NEJM 2021)
- SURMOUNT-1: tirzepatide in obesity (NEJM 2022)
- Retatrutide Phase 2 in obesity (NEJM 2023)
- SELECT: semaglutide cardiovascular outcomes (NEJM 2023)
- TRIUMPH-1 registry entry (NCT05929066)
- FDA: medications containing semaglutide (safety information)
- FDA: 503A bulk substances evaluation (Category 2)
- America's Poison Centers