# PEG-MGF

PEG-MGF has no registered human trials in the registries we track. It is marketed for 3 different uses.

**In short**

- No registered human trial exists for PEG-MGF in the registries we track.
- PEG-MGF is not FDA-approved for any use.
- Last checked against ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-07-30.

## What it is

Mechano growth factor is a splice variant of IGF-1, known in humans as IGF-1Ec, produced locally in muscle after mechanical loading or damage. What is sold as "MGF" is usually a synthetic 24-amino-acid fragment of its C-terminal region rather than the full splice product, and PEG-MGF is that fragment with polyethylene glycol attached to slow its breakdown. Neither was developed as a pharmaceutical.

## Where the claims come from

The underlying muscle physiology is real and comes from Geoffrey Goldspink’s laboratory: loading a muscle increases IGF-1Ec expression, which activates the satellite cells involved in repair. Sellers extend that to injected muscle growth in healthy adults, which is a step the source research does not take.

## What evidence exists outside the registry

The published work is cell culture and animal studies — periodontal ligament stem cells, chondrocytes, ACL fibroblasts in vitro, rat osteoarthritis models. A PubMed filter for human studies is misleading here: it returns work on human-derived cells, not on human subjects.

**Sources for the above**

- [MGF in mechanically-loaded tissue (in vitro)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35457148/) — Representative in-vitro work; the human research is on cells, not people.
- [FDA — bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks) — FDA lists PEG-MGF specifically, in the withdrawn table.

## Approved for

Not approved by the FDA for any use. Nothing has been reviewed for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality.

## Studied for

No registered trial on ClinicalTrials.gov lists a studied condition for this compound. That is a gap in the registry, not a finding that it was tested and failed. Published human research may exist without a registry entry — registration only became standard in the mid-2000s.

## Marketed for

- Muscle growth
- Recovery
- Injury repair

## What regulators have said

PEG-MGF was nominated for use in pharmacy compounding and the nomination was withdrawn, so it is NOT on FDA's active list of substances that may present significant safety risks. FDA had published the concern below while it was under review.

FDA's own words: "Compounded drugs containing Mechano Growth Factor Pegylated (PEG-MGF) may pose significant risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration and may have complexities with regard to peptide-related impurities and API characterization. FDA has not identified human exposure data."

Source: US Food and Drug Administration — https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
Checked 2026-07-30. This list changes.

This is a judgment about compounding and manufacturing, not a finding about whether PEG-MGF has any effect.


## Every trial on record

No registered interventional human study found on ClinicalTrials.gov. That is not proof the compound does nothing, and not proof it was never given to a human — trial registration only became standard in the mid-2000s, so older published work often has no registry entry.

## Common questions

**How many human trials does PEG-MGF have?**
None in the registries we track.

**Is PEG-MGF FDA approved?**
No. It is not approved by the FDA for any indication.

**Where does this data come from?**
ClinicalTrials.gov. We count interventional human studies only. Every trial
links to its original record.

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*Automated aggregation from public registries. Not medical advice. No physician
has reviewed this page. Source: https://www.whatsactuallyknown.com/compounds/peg-mgf*