Follistatin-344
Compound snapshot
Class
Research peptide
FDA approved
No
Clinical development
Preclinical
Last reviewed
September 2026
Research areas
Growth hormone axis / Body composition / Recovery
Regulatory status
Research use only — not approved
Internet attention
Moderate
Registry query
Follistatin-344
A recombinant form of the natural myostatin-binding protein follistatin, studied mainly as a gene therapy rather than an injected peptide.
Reality check — what we actually know
Supported by human evidence
- No adequately powered randomised human trials establish the outcomes this compound is marketed for.
Animal research only
- Dramatic muscle hypertrophy in myostatin-inhibited animal models
- Follistatin gene therapy improved distance walked in small Becker muscular dystrophy trials
- Studied for sarcopenia and muscle-wasting disease
Mechanistically plausible
- Binds and neutralises myostatin and activin, removing the body's brake on skeletal muscle growth.
Common internet claims
- Online discussion frequently presents Follistatin-344 as a proven treatment rather than a research compound.
Not established
- Human efficacy for the outcomes commonly claimed
- Optimal route, quantity and duration in humans
- Long-term human safety
Evidence distribution
Each band is a live PubMed search for Follistatin-344, filtered to that kind of study. Top is the strongest evidence; the base is reasoning, not proof. A band with no records means that kind of study has not been published for this compound yet.
Mechanism and reported findings
Binds and neutralises myostatin and activin, removing the body's brake on skeletal muscle growth.
- Dramatic muscle hypertrophy in myostatin-inhibited animal models
- Follistatin gene therapy improved distance walked in small Becker muscular dystrophy trials
- Studied for sarcopenia and muscle-wasting disease
Strength of the evidence: Gene-therapy trials in muscular dystrophy exist; the injected peptide sold online has no human efficacy data and a very short half-life.
Safety and known cautions
Activin/myostatin blockade affects reproductive and cardiac tissue too. Cardiac hypertrophy is a theoretical risk. WADA-prohibited.
Evidence at a glance
No single score, on purpose. The line beside each bar shows how much reported outcomes vary between studies.
Development stage
- Discovery
- PreclinicalCurrent
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Regulatory review
- Approved