Health Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr.
has advocated for deregulating a number of peptides, but scientists at the Food and Drug Administration say there’s insufficient evidence to recommend their use.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The FDA scientists are set to present their conclusions next month at an FDA advisory committee meeting that will assess whether to allow compounding pharmacies to produce seven different peptides.Peptides are molecules made up of chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.Thousands are found naturally in the body but they can also be made synthetically in a lab.
They’ve seen a recent surge in popularity as wellness influencers and popular podcasters have touted them for weight loss and as remedies for injuries, joint pain and myriad other issues.Kennedy has said he’s used peptides on injuries with “really good effect.”But they exist largely in a “gray market:” They’re not FDA-approved drugs, but can be found online from unregulated suppliers.
In April, Kennedy reclassified 12 peptides as Category 1 substances, the first step toward adding them to a list of substances that compounding pharmacies can make.(Compounding pharmacies make customized versions of medications that aren’t available at standard pharmacies.) Kennedy said at a House hearing that month that the Biden administration had incorrectly flagged the peptides as posing safety risks.
Most peptides have not been studied outside of animals, meaning there’s little data to demonstrate their safety or effectiveness in humans.However, many are sold online under the label “For research use only,” giving vendors a legal workaround to sell peptides they claim aren’t meant for humans.
Some experts — and Kennedy — argue that offering peptides through licensed compounding pharmacies would shrink this underground market and direct people toward safer products.The FDA’s ...