10 clinical modules, 46 lessons and a published formulary of 128 named agents — built so a clinician learns the mechanism, the evidence tier, the patient selection and the regulatory status of everything they prescribe.
336 specific topics are published below, lesson by lesson. Three delivery formats — self-paced video, livestream classes and a 2-day in-person workshop. Scope is stated in modules, lessons, topics and named agents; no hour counts are claimed before the founding cohort is scheduled.
How It Is Organized
10 clinical modules, the way peptide medicine is actually practiced
The curriculum is organized by clinical module rather than by agent list. Each module holds its own lessons, its own published topic list and the named agents studied inside it — and each links through to the Peptide Formulary, where every agent carries a mechanism phrase and a regulatory status tag.
Modules hold the lessons
Ten modules, 46 lessons between them. Every lesson publishes its topic list up front, so a clinician can see what is taught before enrolling rather than after.
Agents are studied, not promoted
Each module names the agents it studies. The teaching frame is mechanism, evidence tier, patient selection, monitoring and regulatory status — never a promised patient outcome.
Two levels slice the same curriculum
Level I takes the foundations, safety core and the aesthetics module. Level II takes all 10 modules and adds the in-person workshop, the documented case series and the exam. Compare the certification paths.
The Curriculum
The 10 clinical modules in full
Open any lesson to read its published topic list. Module content and lesson detail are being finalized with Empire faculty ahead of the founding cohort.
Module 1 · 4 lessons · 28 topics
Foundations & Peptide Science
The pharmacologic bedrock every later module assumes: how peptides signal rather than replace, what determines a protocol's route and cadence, and how to judge whether a peptide's evidence base is a human trial or a rat study. Empire teaches literature appraisal as a graded competency, not an aside.
Peptide regulation moved twice since 2023 and is still moving. This module makes regulatory fluency part of the credential — including the compliance areas competitors leave out entirely: gray-market sourcing risk, advertising law, and interstate telehealth prescribing.
2.1The 503A / 503B Framework and the Bulks List
Sections 503A and 503B of the FD&C Act: patient-specific compounding versus outsourcing facilities
The 503A bulk drug substances list: Category 1, Category 2 and what each designation actually permits
The 2023 Category 2 placements and the practices they disrupted
April 2026: twelve peptides removed from Category 2 — and why removal is not clearance or approval
July 2026 PCAC: recommendations for BPC-157, KPV, TB-500 and MOTS-c are advisory; FDA determination is pending
Notice-and-comment rulemaking: how a substance actually reaches the bulks list, and the absence of a fixed timeline
Nominations, withdrawals and per-agent status divergence within a single drug class
Building a monitoring routine: dockets, PCAC agendas, pharmacy notices and quarterly protocol review
2.2Sterile Manufacturing & the "For Human Use" Difference
USP <797> and <800> concepts a prescriber should be able to ask about
Cleanroom classification, ISO environments, media fills and personnel qualification
API grade and provenance: "for human use" versus research-grade material
Sterility, endotoxin (LAL) and bacterial-burden testing
Potency, purity and identity assays; HPLC and mass spectrometry basics for reading a report
Excipients, preservatives and container-closure integrity
Batch records, lot traceability and recall handling
2.3Pharmacy Vetting, Certificates of Analysis & Gray-Market Risk
A structured pharmacy due-diligence questionnaire the practice can reuse
Reading a certificate of analysis line by line and spotting the missing assay
Third-party versus in-house testing and how to request independent verification
State board licensure, non-resident pharmacy registration and inspection history
"Research use only" and "not for human consumption" supply: the legal, clinical and malpractice exposure
Counterfeit and adulterated product patterns reported in the peptide supply chain
Documenting sourcing decisions so the chart shows the diligence that was performed
Contingency planning when an agent's compounding availability changes mid-protocol
The incretin class in full — approved branded products, compounded supply, and the investigational triple agonists — plus the operational reality of running a weight-management program. Empire teaches the entire patient arc: selection, titration, muscle preservation, discontinuation and maintenance.
The full secretagogue landscape — GHRH analogs, ghrelin-receptor agents, IGF-1 biology and the myostatin pathway — taught with per-agent regulatory status rather than class generalization. Includes the anti-doping content no competing certification covers.
4.1The GH / IGF-1 Axis and Secretagogue Classes
Hypothalamic–pituitary–somatotroph physiology and pulsatile GH release
GHRH receptor versus ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) signaling and why the two classes are combined
IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and the acid-labile subunit: what each lab value represents
Somatostatin tone, sleep-stage timing and the rationale for pre-sleep dosing
Adult GH deficiency: diagnostic criteria, stimulation testing and the diagnostic role of macimorelin
Secretagogue stimulation versus exogenous recombinant GH — clinical, legal and ethical distinction
Per-agent regulatory divergence within the class: why GHRP-2/GHRP-6, ipamorelin and tesamorelin are not interchangeable
4.2GHRH Analogs and Ghrelin-Receptor Agents in Practice
Sermorelin and the GRF(1-29) sequence; CJC-1295 with and without DAC
Tesamorelin: visceral adipose tissue and hepatic steatosis endpoints, its HIV-lipodystrophy approved indication, and the cognitive endpoints under study
ALRN-5281 and stapled long-acting GHRH analogs in early clinical study
Ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin: selectivity, cortisol and prolactin effects
Ghrelin, macimorelin and anamorelin: appetite, cachexia and diagnostic applications
MK-677 as an orally active non-peptide secretagogue and its distinct risk profile
Combination logic (GHRH analog plus ghrelin agonist) and the evidence behind stacking
IGF-1 monitoring intervals, target ranges and stopping rules
4.3Anabolic Signaling, Myostatin & SARMs Context
IGF-1 and IGF-1 LR3: receptor affinity, binding-protein evasion and hypoglycemia risk
MGF and PEG-MGF: the mechano-sensitive IGF-1 splice variant and its evidence tier
Myostatin and activin signaling: follistatin-344 and ACE-031 as investigational probes
SARMs — the science, the trial history and the controversy, taught as non-peptide context
The repair cascade end to end: the core reparative peptides, the connective-tissue and bone agents, the organ-directed bioregulators, and the procedural modalities they are combined with. Empire adds the in-person protocol workshop that on-demand programs cannot deliver.
5.1The Repair Cascade & Regenerative Signaling
Hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling — mapping agents to phase
Angiogenesis, fibroblast recruitment and extracellular matrix deposition
Growth-factor biology: VEGF, PDGF and the TGF-β superfamily
Fibrosis versus functional repair and the agents studied on each side of that line
Tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone healing timelines and why they differ
Nerve regeneration signaling and the peptides studied in that context
Why load, rehabilitation and sleep remain the dominant variables in any repair protocol
Immune modulation, barrier integrity and inflammation resolution as one connected system — including post-viral and autoimmune protocol design, and the non-peptide adjuncts clinicians actually combine with peptides.
6.1Immune Modulation & Immunosenescence
Innate and adaptive immune architecture relevant to peptide signaling
Thymic involution, immunosenescence and inflammaging
Thymosin alpha-1: T-cell and dendritic-cell signaling and its international regulatory footprint
Thymalin, thymagen and thymulin: the thymic bioregulator family and their evidence tier
Neuropeptide pharmacology taught with blood-brain-barrier realism, psychiatric safety and sleep physiology — not as a nootropic catalog. Includes the brain-inflammation and neurotherapy content A4M covers, plus the psychiatric screening it does not.
7.1Neuropeptide Pharmacology & CNS Delivery
Blood-brain-barrier transport mechanisms and which peptides plausibly cross
Intranasal delivery, olfactory and trigeminal routes, and formulation variables
Neurotrophin signaling: BDNF, NGF and HGF/c-Met pathways studied in this class
Neurotransmitter modulation studied with peptide agents (GABAergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic)
Neurogenesis and synaptogenesis claims and the evidence tier that supports them
Cognitive assessment tools appropriate to an outpatient practice
Where a peptide protocol ends and a neurology or psychiatry referral begins
7.2Cognition, Mood & Anxiolytic Agents
Semax and N-acetyl semax amidate: ACTH-fragment analogs and their study models
Selank and N-acetyl selank amidate: tuftsin-analog anxiolytic pharmacology
Dihexa: angiotensin IV analog and HGF/c-Met potentiation
PE-22-28 (spadin analog), P21 and investigational neurogenic peptides
Cortexin, cerebrolysin and cortagen: peptide preparations used outside the United States
Noopept and dipeptide-derived nootropics sold in the supplement channel
Psychiatric screening: bipolar spectrum, suicidality, stimulant and substance history
Interaction review with antidepressants, anxiolytics and stimulants
The geroscience module: hallmarks of aging, mitochondrial-derived peptides, senolytics, the bioregulator literature, and the biological-age testing market — each taught with its evidence tier stated out loud.
8.1Hallmarks of Aging, Cellular Senescence & Telomeres
The hallmarks-of-aging framework and which hallmarks peptides are studied against
Cellular senescence, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype and "zombie cell" biology
Telomere biology, telomerase and the limits of telomere-length testing
DNA damage response, genomic instability and epigenetic drift
Autophagy and proteostasis pathways relevant to longevity protocols
Interpreting the commercial biological-age and telomere testing market critically
Communicating geroscience honestly: no life-extension claims, no age-reversal language
8.2Mitochondrial-Derived Peptides & Bioenergetics
Mitochondrial genetics, the ORF-derived peptide family and retrograde signaling
MOTS-c: insulin sensitivity and metabolic signaling study models, and its PCAC status
Humanin and the HNG analog in cytoprotection research
SS-31 / elamipretide: cardiolipin binding and its clinical trial history
Mitophagy and biogenesis adjuncts studied in protocols (urolithin A, NAD+ precursors)
Food-derived bioactive peptides: IRW, LRP and LQP in AMPK and PGC-1α models
Mitochondrial function testing: what is measurable in practice and what is not
8.3Senolytics and Senescent-Cell Signaling
Senolytic versus senomorphic strategies
FOXO4-DRI: the p53–FOXO4 interaction peptide and its preclinical evidence base
Dasatinib plus quercetin and the intermittent-dosing trial literature
Rapamycin and mTOR inhibition as non-peptide geroscience context
Risk framing for senolytic protocols: infection, wound healing, immune surveillance
Case-based reasoning on when senolytic experimentation is not appropriate
Distinguishing published human data from vendor marketing in this category
8.4Peptide Bioregulators & Geroprotective Agents
The Khavinson bioregulator program: hypothesis, publication record and methodological critique
Epitalon and epithalamin: pineal peptide research and telomerase claims
Hormone receptor modulation and cross-talk with peptide signaling pathways
The hormone–peptide interface: thyroid, adrenal, gonadal and GH axes in one panel
Sex-hormone optimization alongside peptide protocols and the coordination required
Epigenetic clocks, biological-age panels and inflammatory-age indices
Longitudinal marker tracking: intervals, expected variance and regression to the mean
Building a defensible longevity-program monitoring schedule
Reporting results to patients without implying lifespan effects
The forward pipeline: next-generation peptides and small-molecule longevity therapies in development, and how to appraise a candidate before it reaches your practice
Critical appraisal of consumer longevity and biohacking claims: what patients arrive asking for, where the underlying evidence actually sits, and how to redirect the conversation
Cosmeceutical peptide chemistry, injectable and procedural skin restoration, hair-restoration protocol design, and the sexual-health and reproductive interface — the aesthetic content taught by a company whose core business is hands-on aesthetic training.
9.1Skin Biology & Cosmeceutical Peptide Chemistry
Dermal architecture, collagen types, elastin and the ground substance
Matrix metalloproteinase and TIMP balance in photoaging
Signal peptides, carrier peptides, neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides and enzyme-inhibiting peptides
GHK-Cu: copper coordination chemistry, gene-expression studies and its three supply pathways
Matrixyl, Matrixyl 3000 and palmitoyl tripeptide-38 in topical formulation
SNAP-8, Argireline and Syn-Ake: topical neuromodulatory peptide chemistry
Reading a cosmeceutical ingredient deck and identifying concentration and vehicle problems
Cosmetic-versus-drug regulatory classification and the claims that cross the line
The module that converts knowledge into a defensible practice: selection, monitoring, adverse events, deprescribing, special populations, consent, scope of practice, medicolegal risk and program economics. Most of this module is white space in competing certifications.
Regulatory status is summarized as of publication and changes frequently. Agents are named because they are studied in the curriculum — naming an agent is not a recommendation, and no compounded peptide is an FDA-approved product.
Enrollment Levels
How the two levels slice this curriculum
The modules above are one curriculum. The two credential levels are two depths of study through it — so a clinician who starts at Level I never re-learns the foundations to move up.
Which clinical modules are included at each certification level
Clinical module
Level I — Essentials
Level II — Master
1 — Foundations & Peptide Science
Included — all 4 lessons
Included
2 — Regulatory, Sourcing & Compounding Quality
Included — all 4 lessons
Included
3 — Metabolic Health & Weight Management
—
Included
4 — Growth Hormone Axis, Anabolic & Performance
—
Included
5 — Regenerative, Musculoskeletal & Organ Repair
—
Included
6 — Immune, Gut & Inflammation
—
Included
7 — Neurocognitive, Mood & Sleep
—
Included
8 — Longevity, Mitochondrial & Senolytics
—
Included
9 — Aesthetics, Skin, Hair & Sexual Health
Included — all 5 lessons
Included
10 — Clinical Practice, Safety & Integration
Partial — Lessons 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.5
Included
Program elements, assessment and credential awarded by certification level
A full clinical schedule should not be the barrier to certification. Level I is self-paced, and Level II is taught livestream and adds two days in person.
Self-Paced Video
How Level I runs. Every lesson is unlocked at enrollment and nothing is scheduled, so you set the pace and can finish before the month is up.
Livestream Classes
How Levels II and III run. Every module is taught live online by faculty on a set schedule — bring your own patient scenarios and work them through with practicing physicians.
In-Person Course
What Level II adds on top of the livestream classes. One 2-day workshop taught in person by Empire faculty. You build stacks and protocols from a printed guide you keep, and work live cases with the physicians who wrote the curriculum. Level II only.
The Assessment
The credential is earned, not attended
Level II closes with assessment: 10–15 documented, de-identified cases with follow-up reviewed by faculty, and a written case-based exam. Case work is assessed on clinical reasoning — patient selection, evidence tier, monitoring plan, regulatory status and the documentation that supports each decision.
The case series is 10–15 documented, de-identified cases with follow-up. Final counts and exam specifications are confirmed with founding-cohort enrollment.
Graded case-study submissions reviewed by faculty
Proctored written examination
In-person workshop attendance
Faculty-led case panels with written clinical reasoning
No Empire membership required to certify at any level
Woven Through Every Module
Regulatory fluency is part of the credential
Most therapeutic peptides reach patients through compounding under FDA’s 503A framework, and that landscape moves. In April 2026, FDA removed twelve peptides — including BPC-157, injectable GHK-Cu, and TB-500 — from Category 2 of its compounding categories list. In July 2026, the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, and MOTS-c for the 503A bulks list. That recommendation is advisory: FDA determinations are still pending, and nothing is final.
The curriculum treats that volatility as a clinical skill rather than a footnote. Certified practitioners are trained to tell an FDA-approved peptide drug — semaglutide and tirzepatide as branded products, for example — from a compounded preparation, to read PCAC activity accurately, and to apply their own state’s rules. Compounded peptides are not FDA-approved products, and this program teaches clinicians to communicate that distinction precisely.
Lesson 2.1 — the 503A/503B framework, the bulks list, Category 2 and how PCAC actually works
Lesson 2.2 — sterile manufacturing and the “for human use” difference
Lesson 2.3 — pharmacy vetting, reading a certificate of analysis, gray-market and “research use only” risk
Lesson 2.4 — FDA and FTC advertising rules, telehealth and interstate prescribing
Lesson 10.5 — tiered informed consent, documentation and scope of practice by license type
Ongoing — a monitoring routine for dockets, PCAC agendas, pharmacy notices and quarterly protocol review
Every agent in the Peptide Formulary carries a regulatory status tag. Status is summarized as of publication and will be reviewed as FDA determinations are issued.
Available today
Not ready to wait for the founding cohort?
The certification program above is a separate, larger curriculum in development with Empire faculty. Empire’s existing Peptide Therapy Master Course is a one-day, foundation course that clinicians can take right now. It is a companion to this program, not a level of it — and it is the fastest way to get a working framework before the founding cohort opens.