You know how every city seems to develop its own recurring conversation topics? In Dubai, there are a few that appear almost automatically: “The weather is still surprisingly good for this time of year” or “Did you go to Art Dubai? It was actually really good.” Two safe subjects — weather and art. But lately, another one has quietly entered the conversation and settled somewhere nearby: peptide therapy.

And no, it is no longer just about weight loss, even though that is probably how most people first heard about it. The conversation has expanded into everything from anti-ageing and energy optimisation to recovery, sleep, focus, cell regeneration, and longevity overall. Somewhere between science and wellness culture, peptide therapy now occupies a slightly strange space: heavily discussed, heavily marketed, yet still misunderstood by many.

So, we decided to properly immerse ourselves in the subject — though thankfully not alone. To help separate evidence from marketing language, we spoke with Dr Mahmoud Al Darabie, specialist at Valeo Health Clinic.

Disclaimer: Peptide therapy should only ever be approached under the supervision of a qualified medical specialist, as certain therapies may pose serious risks for individuals with specific health conditions, underlying vulnerabilities, or incompatible medical histories.

At the most basic level, peptides are short chains of amino acids — the same molecules that make up proteins. The main difference is their size: peptides are much smaller, which allows them to work quickly as tiny signalling messengers inside the body.

And despite how futuristic the word sounds today, peptides are actually already naturally produced by the body. They help regulate hormones, support repair processes, control inflammation, and influence everything from metabolism and sleep to recovery and immune function.

At the same time, when people talk about “peptides” today, they are often also referring to synthetic or medically developed peptides. These are created in laboratories to either mimic peptides the body already naturally produces or target specific biological processes more directly. Medications like semaglutide — used in Ozempic and Wegovy — are examples of synthetic peptide-based drugs.

Medical peptides are usually grouped by the function they target inside the body.

Some are used for metabolic health and weight management. This includes compounds like semaglutide and tirzepatide, which help regulate appetite, blood sugar, and digestion.

Others are linked to recovery and tissue repair. Peptides like BPC-157 are being studied for their potential role in healing muscles, tendons, ligaments, and gut tissue.

There are also peptides connected to sleep, recovery, and hormone support — particularly compounds that stimulate the body’s own natural growth hormone production. Some peptides are additionally explored for immune support and post-viral recovery.

And finally, there are cosmetic peptides, mostly used in skincare, where they are researched for their potential role in collagen production, skin repair, and overall skin quality.

Peptides themselves aren't new at all — treatments like insulin have existed for decades.

One of the clearest examples is insulin, which is technically a peptide hormone and has been used clinically since the 1920s for diabetes treatment. Over time, peptide-based medicine also became common in areas such as fertility treatment, endocrinology, and metabolic disease management.

A big reason peptides suddenly escaped medical clinics and entered mainstream wellness culture is accessibility. Compared to a decade ago, peptides are now much easier to produce, prescribe, and, of course, market.

At the same time, society’s relationship with health has also changed quite a bit. People are no longer interested only in treating illness once something goes wrong. Now the focus is also on longevity, prevention, recovery, and overall performance. Peptides arrived at almost the perfect cultural moment for that mindset.

Social media pushed the conversation even further. Suddenly, peptides were no longer discussed only inside clinics or research circles, but by wellness influencers, gym communities, and biohackers online.

The problem is that the science behind different peptides is still very uneven. Some are backed by strong clinical evidence and years of research, while others are still experimental, early-stage, or simply too new for medicine to fully understand their long-term effects yet.

When it comes to scientific evidence, not all peptides exist on the same level. Some already have years of clinical trials, medical approvals, and real-world patient data behind them. Others still belong more to the “promising, but still being figured out” category.

Right now, the strongest evidence sits with GLP-1 receptor agonists — medications that mimic the natural GLP-1 hormone responsible for regulating appetite, blood sugar, and digestion. This includes compounds like semaglutide and tirzepatide, used in medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.

Below them are peptides like BPC-157, often discussed for recovery and tissue repair, and thymosin alpha-1, which is used in some countries for immune support. But compared to GLP-1 medications, the research behind them is still much more limited.

And then there is the growing number of newer peptides circulating online (MOTS-c, Epitalon, TB-500, or various “anti-ageing” peptide stacks) — often heavily marketed despite still lacking enough long-term human research.

Important note: even the “well-studied” peptide medications are still relatively new in the bigger timeline of medicine. Doctors usually become far more confident about a medication after around 10–15 years of widespread use across millions of patients — and even then, medicine still continues collecting long-term data and monitoring possible side effects.

Ozempic was approved in 2017, meaning it has been used clinically for around 9 years. Wegovy followed in 2021 (around 5 years), while Mounjaro was approved in 2022, making it only around 4 years old in real-world medical use despite its strong clinical trial data.

It is important to separate weight-loss peptides into two main categories, because they work very differently and also carry very different levels of scientific evidence behind them.

The first category is GLP-1 receptor agonists — medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). These drugs work mainly by affecting appetite and satiety signals in the brain, helping people feel full for longer and reduce food intake naturally.

The second category includes body-composition peptides such as AOD-9604, CJC-1295, and ipamorelin. These work more through the growth hormone pathway and are usually aimed at supporting fat metabolism, recovery, and lean muscle preservation rather than simply reducing appetite.

What is important to understand is that neither category should be treated as a casual wellness supplement. They work through complex biological systems, carry different side effects and risks, and are designed for very different types of patients.

Yes — especially when people begin treating it as a harmless wellness trend rather than a serious medical intervention. When used incorrectly, without proper supervision, peptide therapies can affect complex biological systems including hormones, metabolism, appetite regulation, cardiovascular function, and immune response.

For GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, the side effects are now relatively well understood. The most common ones are digestive issues such as nausea, bloating, or changes in bowel habits, especially during the first weeks of treatment. In most medically supervised cases, these symptoms can be managed by adjusting the dosage gradually.

There are also certain situations where these medications may not be suitable at all — for example, in patients with a history of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, or during pregnancy.

There are also rarer but more serious reported complications linked to GLP-1 medications, including pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, bowel obstruction, and severe dehydration. Some peptides have also raised concerns around potential cancer risks, although current research has not confirmed a direct connection.

Other peptides used for body composition or recovery, such as AOD-9604 or growth hormone-related compounds, carry a different risk profile altogether. They may have a lower overall systemic impact compared to GLP-1 drugs, but they still require proper medical supervision to ensure safe and appropriate use.