Kisspeptin: dosage in studies
Not a recommendation, not treatment guidance. This page shows only what published human studies used, with sources. This site does not say how much anyone should use of any substance. Fimea warns against using injectable peptides bought online: Fimea warning.
Two forms of kisspeptin have been studied in humans: the longer kisspeptin-54 and the short kisspeptin-10. Doses were usually calculated per kilogram of body weight, and the studies measured reproductive hormone responses, egg maturation in IVF or brain activity [1, 6, 8]A[3]B.
Most of the studies come from the same research group [1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]A[2, 5]B.
Doses used in studies
| Study | Participants | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Source and level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhillo 2005 (kisspeptin-54) | 6 healthy men; saline as control | 4 pmol/kg per minute as an infusion into a vein | Once | 90 minutes | [1]A |
| Dhillo 2007 (kisspeptin-54) | Healthy women with regular menstrual cycles: 3-4 per dose and 8 women across cycle phases | 0.2-6.4 nmol/kg under the skin; in the cycle phase comparison 0.4 nmol/kg under the skin | Single doses | Not reported | [2]B |
| George 2011 (kisspeptin-10) | Healthy men; 4 men per dose level in the infusions | 0.01-3.0 µg/kg as single doses into a vein; as an infusion 1.5 or 4 µg/kg per hour | Single dose or continuous infusion | Infusion up to 22.5 hours | [3]B |
| Jayasena 2009 (kisspeptin-54) | 10 women with hypothalamic amenorrhoea (5 kisspeptin, 5 saline) | 6.4 nmol/kg under the skin | Twice a day | 2 weeks | [4]A |
| Jayasena 2014 (kisspeptin-54) | 53 women undergoing IVF | 1.6, 3.2, 6.4 or 12.8 nmol/kg under the skin | One injection | Eggs collected 36 hours later | [5]B |
| Abbara 2015 (kisspeptin-54) | 60 women undergoing IVF at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation | 3.2, 6.4, 9.6 or 12.8 nmol/kg under the skin | One injection | Eggs collected 36 hours later | [6]A |
| Abbara 2017 (kisspeptin-54) | 62 women undergoing IVF at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation | 9.6 nmol/kg under the skin; 31 women received the same dose again, 31 saline | Two injections 10 hours apart | Eggs collected 36 hours after the first injection | [7]A |
| Thurston 2022 (kisspeptin-54) | 32 women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (40 randomised) | 1 nmol/kg per hour as an infusion into a vein (compared with placebo) | Once | 75 minutes | [8]A |
| Mills 2023 (kisspeptin-54) | 32 men with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (37 randomised) | 1 nmol/kg per hour as an infusion into a vein (compared with placebo) | Once | 75 minutes | [9]A |
| Mills 2025a (kisspeptin-54) | 95 healthy adults (63 men, 32 women) | 1 nmol/kg per hour as an infusion into a vein (compared with placebo) | Once | 75 minutes | [10]A |
| Mills 2025b (kisspeptin-54, into the nose), men | 12 healthy men | 3.2, 6.4, 12.8 or 25.6 nmol/kg into the nose (compared with placebo) | Single dose at each visit | Five study visits (four doses and placebo) | [11]A |
| Mills 2025b (kisspeptin-54, into the nose), women | 12 healthy women and 10 women with hypothalamic amenorrhoea | 12.8 nmol/kg into the nose (compared with placebo) | Single dose | Two study visits (kisspeptin and placebo) | [11]A |
| Yeung 2026 (kisspeptin-10) | 15 healthy men; 12 men as controls | Infusion under the skin of 1.25-10.0 nmol/kg per hour; 180 nmol per hour; 150 nmol per hour | Single 8-hour infusion; continuous infusion; infusion 8 hours a day | 1 day; 5 days; 12 days | [12]A |
Evidence levels: A = randomised human trial or meta-analysis · B = observational human study or case series · C = animal study · D = cell or laboratory study · E = not peer-reviewed
Units: µg = microgram, written mcg in the calculator. A milligram (mg) is a thousand times larger.
Notes
Doses of kisspeptin-54 and kisspeptin-10 cannot be compared directly, and units vary: nmol/kg, µg/kg, pmol/kg per minute and, for some infusions, nmol per hour without body weight [1, 12]A[3]B.
In women the response depended on the phase of the menstrual cycle: kisspeptin-54 acted most strongly just before ovulation and least in the early part of the cycle [2]B.
Of the kisspeptin-10 single doses, 3 µg/kg gave a weaker response than 1 µg/kg, so the larger dose was not more effective [3]B.
What points the other way or is uncertain
Repeated dosing weakened the response: kisspeptin-54 given twice a day raised hormones strongly on the first day, but by day 14 the response had almost disappeared [4]A. Given twice a week, the response weakened only partly [13]B. A continuous kisspeptin-10 infusion for five days brought gonadotropins back to control levels, whereas an infusion for 8 hours a day sustained the response for 12 days [12]A.
Kisspeptin-10 did not change gonadotropins in women in the early part of the cycle even at the highest doses tried (10 nmol/kg into a vein, 32 nmol/kg under the skin or 720 pmol/kg per minute as an infusion into a vein); a response was seen only before ovulation [14]B.
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- All dose pages and calculators
Read the research yourself: sources
- Dhillo WS, Chaudhri OB, Patterson M, et al. Kisspeptin-54 stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis in human males. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90:6609-6615. PMID 16174713
- Dhillo WS, Chaudhri OB, Thompson EL, et al. Kisspeptin-54 stimulates gonadotropin release most potently during the preovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:3958-3966. PMID 17635940
- George JT, Veldhuis JD, Roseweir AK, et al. Kisspeptin-10 is a potent stimulator of LH and increases pulse frequency in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:E1228-E1236. PMID 21632807
- Jayasena CN, Nijher GM, Chaudhri OB, et al. Subcutaneous injection of kisspeptin-54 acutely stimulates gonadotropin secretion in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea, but chronic administration causes tachyphylaxis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:4315-4323. PMID 19820030
- Jayasena CN, Abbara A, Comninos AN, et al. Kisspeptin-54 triggers egg maturation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. J Clin Invest. 2014;124:3667-3677. PMID 25036713
- Abbara A, Jayasena CN, Christopoulos G, et al. Efficacy of Kisspeptin-54 to Trigger Oocyte Maturation in Women at High Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100:3322-3331. PMID 26192876
- Abbara A, Clarke S, Islam R, et al. A second dose of kisspeptin-54 improves oocyte maturation in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a Phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2017;32:1915-1924. PMID 28854728
- Thurston L, Hunjan T, Ertl N, et al. Effects of Kisspeptin Administration in Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5:e2236131. PMID 36287566
- Mills EG, Ertl N, Wall MB, et al. Effects of Kisspeptin on Sexual Brain Processing and Penile Tumescence in Men With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6:e2254313. PMID 36735255
- Mills EG, Thurston L, Yang L, et al. Kisspeptin Administration Stimulates Reproductive Hormones but Does Not Affect Anxiety in Humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025;110:3133-3141. PMID 40036336
- Mills EG, Silva MSB, Delli V, et al. Intranasal kisspeptin administration rapidly stimulates gonadotropin release in humans. EBioMedicine. 2025;115:105689. PMID 40215751
- Yeung AC, Phylactou M, Koysombat K, et al. Chronic subcutaneous kisspeptin-10 stimulates gonadotropin secretion for 12 days in healthy men. Eur J Endocrinol. 2026;195:206-216. PMID 42549827
- Jayasena CN, Nijher GM, Abbara A, et al. Twice-weekly administration of kisspeptin-54 for 8 weeks stimulates release of reproductive hormones in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2010;88:840-847. PMID 20980998
- Jayasena CN, Nijher GM, Comninos AN, et al. The effects of kisspeptin-10 on reproductive hormone release show sexual dimorphism in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:E1963-E1972. PMID 21976724
The route of the Abbara 2015 injection (under the skin) and the participant numbers of the nasal study are from the full text; for the other sources the details are from the abstracts. The George abstract does not state the route of the kisspeptin-10 infusion.
Content is general information about research, not medical advice. If you have symptoms, contact a healthcare professional.