[Updated] The First New Peptide Ingredient Completed the New Cosmetic Ingredient (NCI) Notification in China

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Jun. 25, 2022, and was updated on Jul. 8, 2022, as per the latest developments.

As revealed by China National Medical Products Administration’s (NMPA) database, Oligopeptide-215 from a Chinese company Shenzhen Winkey Pharmaceutical R&D Co., Ltd., has completed the new cosmetic ingredient (NCI) notification on June 14, 2022. ¹ Basic information and technical requirements of the NCI are as follows:

Oligopeptide-215 is the 12th notified NCI in 2022 and the first notified new peptide compound in China. The industry believes that the development of Oligopeptide-215 is expected to replace the banned EGF as the new star ingredient in the field of skin repairing and firming due to its proven ability to tighten and repair the skin as well as promote collagen production.

Peptide Ingredients

With multiplicity of types, peptides have been widely applied to anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, whitening, anti-allergic and soothing, repairing, and hair growth products, etc. For example, ²

• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1: it can inhibit the production of inflammatory factors and soothe the skin;

• Copper peptide (GHK-Cu): it is used for anti-aging, repairing, increasing skin elasticity, and lightening scars;

• Carnosine: it has the function of anti-oxidation, anti-glycation, whitening, and lightening spots;

• Copper Tripeptide-1: it is used for promoting the production of ECM, collagen type I, and collagen type III; delaying the growth cycle of hair follicles; and strengthening hair.

Currently, there are only about 78 peptide ingredients in the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC), while in foreign countries, peptide ingredients are more widely used. There are over 1,200 peptide-related ingredients in the 16th Edition of the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary & Handbook.

Therefore, the successful notification of Oligopeptide-215 is of great significance, as it provides enterprises with ideas for developing and innovating peptide ingredients and offers the market more choices in terms of peptide ingredients. ChemLinked expects more peptide ingredients to be notified and used legally in the Chinese market.

All Notified NCIs ^[Updated]

Since the implementation of the registration system for high-risk NCIs and the notification system for low-risk NCIs on May 1, 2021, China's cosmetic ingredient industry has ushered a new era of rapid development, with a substantial increase in both the speed and the number of notifications. So far, twenty NCIs have been notified. Among them, seven are from international companies, and thirteen are from Chinese companies, as shown below:

It worth noting that although China’s new regulations have speeded up the notification process of low-risk ingredients, regulating that the notification is deemed as completed if the notification documents are submitted, the requirements for technical documents are not reduced. Companies are now required to take a more proactive approach with respect to the research and evaluation of ingredients and the preparation of dossiers. In addition, the three-year monitoring period for new cosmetic ingredients also requires companies to maintain a dynamic focus on the safety of ingredients. 

Therefore, ChemLinked recommends that enterprises constantly check and remain up to date on the latest regulatory changes regarding the cosmetics or new cosmetic ingredients registration and notification requirements. For enterprises with cosmetic ingredients that face high technical requirements or where the company shows no previous experience in the application of new ingredients, ChemLinked suggests they seek help and support from professional third-party agents if necessary, to ensure their new cosmetic ingredients to enter into the Chinese market successfully.

REACH24H Consulting Group, the professional team backing up ChemLinked, offers compliance solutions to assist numerous overseas cosmetic companies entering into China market. In late June 2021, REACH24H has provided professional support for Wuhan Zhongke Optics Valley Green Biotechnology Co., Ltd. to successfully notify the first NCI, Acetylneuraminic Acid. REACH24H has a extensive experience in NCI notification. Welcome to contact us at [email protected] for more advices.