{"id":623737,"date":"2026-08-06T15:10:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T15:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/623737\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T15:10:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T15:10:18","slug":"rfk-jr-s-fda-is-making-moves-on-peptides-and-most-doctors-arent-celebrating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/623737\/","title":{"rendered":"RFK Jr.’s FDA Is Making Moves On Peptides \u2014\u00a0And Most Doctors Aren’t Celebrating"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard to go anywhere without hearing talk of peptides, currently paramount in people\u2019s minds in large part because of GLP-1s, which is a type of peptide that stands for glucagon-like peptide-1.<\/p>\n

In the world of peptides, there is an important distinction: GLP-1s<\/a>, along with about 100 other medications (such as insulin), are FDA-approved and have been fully safety tested. But much of the current chatter about peptides is not referring to these safe, FDA-approved medications. <\/p>\n

According to Dr. Kelly Killeen<\/a> of The Practice Healthcare<\/a>, \u201cWhat people typically are talking about when you hear peptides discussed on social media, they\u2019re talking about peptides … that are not tested thoroughly and approved by the FDA for use as a medication.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

These non-FDA-approved peptides make big claims such as increased muscle growth and longevity promises, making them very popular in fitness and wellness communities. They\u2019re sold under the label for \u201cresearch use only,\u201d which allows gray market peptides sellers and manufacturers to evade any side-effect consequences.<\/p>\n

One of the more common peptides on social media is known as the \u201cWolverine\u201d or \u201cX-Men\u201d protocol, said Killeen. With this, folks combine two non-FDA-approved peptides to \u201cheal faster,\u201d she said. There\u2019s also a peptide combo that\u2019s popular in MedSpas known as \u201cglow peptides,\u201d which is said to promote anti-aging, scar improvement and collagen stimulation. These are not safety tested and the claims are not proven.<\/p>\n

But, the FDA is currently considering making some regulation changes for these not-safety-tested peptides.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe FDA convened a committee to vote on whether seven different peptides should be allowed to be compounded or mixed by a compounding pharmacy,\u201d said Caitlin Dow<\/a>, a nutrition scientist at Center for Science in the Public Interest.<\/p>\n

Compounding pharmacies make customizable medications<\/a> that are not available at regular pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens, such as medications in specific flavors, drugs in a dose that isn\u2019t commercially available, allergen-free prescriptions and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this committee that was convened was totally stacked in favor of compounding peptides,\u201d Dow said, before adding that many of the members on the committee have a financial stake in peptides. Certain committee members produce or promote peptides in their daily life<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Six of the seven peptides were given a \u201cgreen light,\u201d noted Dow.<\/p>\n

This does not mean these peptides are FDA-approved, said Dr. Jacinta O. Anyaoku<\/a>, a family medicine and obesity medicine physician.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a misunderstanding of this whole meeting that happened. People think it\u2019s happening in order to allow these peptides to be FDA-approved, but it\u2019s not that,\u201d said Anyaoku. \u201cThat important distinction is that the meeting was to recommend whether or not these peptides can be allowed to be compounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

This meeting also doesn\u2019t mean the peptides can be legally compounded today. \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a long public rule-making process … and then the FDA can decide to go against what that committee recommended, but that seems unlikely at this point given this FDA,\u201d said Dow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the issue is now is that there are a list of medications that the FDA doesn\u2019t approve. It doesn\u2019t say, \u2018look, these are safe,\u2019 but it says, under the care of a physician, they can be made in compounding pharmacies, and we will allow it,\u201d said Dr. Abigail Waldman<\/a>, a dermatologist at Mass General Brigham.<\/p>\n

Again, that does not mean these peptides are FDA-approved, but the goal is a compounding pharmacy would help create some checks and balances that don\u2019t exist for peptides, which you can currently buy from certain online pharmacies and online discount stores.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re basically, right now, just approved for research use, and so you really don\u2019t know …. no one\u2019s really checking to see what\u2019s in it. So, in some ways, this could provide more safety,\u201d said Waldman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat being said, the FDA is not saying, \u2018we think these drugs are safe and effective,\u2019 but they\u2019re saying, \u2018we\u2019d prefer for people to get them under the supervision of a pharmacist and doctor rather than getting them on the internet on the gray market without any regulation whatsoever,\u2019\u201d said Waldman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some positives because you could now have a bigger source of peptides that are safer through the compounding pharmacies in the United States. But I\u2019m not sure that a lot of people are going to pursue that route anyway because they enjoy getting things on their own and not having to go through a physician,\u201d added Killeen. <\/strong><\/p>\n

While some people buy peptide-containing creams and pills, the more concerning problem is the many, many people who go online or to social media to buy injectable peptides that make the muscle and anti-aging promises mentioned above.<\/p>\n

Dow said the FDA is not in charge of overseeing compounding pharmacies, though, so they are not held to the same standard as a CVS or Walmart pharmacy. Anyaoku added that while some compounding pharmacies are completely legitimate and follow all of the rules, that isn\u2019t the case for all compounding pharmacies. <\/p>\n

Even if your compounding pharmacy is a safe choice, \u201cthe actual molecule that they\u2019re compounding, we still don\u2019t know for sure if this molecule is safe to be used for the general population,\u201d said Anyaoku.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that is why we do these studies and we do these trials because, as people know, there have been medications that have been approved, have been used, and then down the line … they\u2019ve been removed from the market,\u201d said Anyaoku. \u201cIt takes time to really know if something is safe, and prematurely pushing something out there without the data could be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way I think about this is that the FDA is trying to regulate a runaway marketplace, but the decision they may ultimately end up making could just unintentionally expand this marketplace,\u201d Dow said. \u201cSo, it\u2019ll increase access without increasing evidence, and it just widens the gap between consumer enthusiasm and scientific certainty. It\u2019s a total mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

If these peptides become unrestricted and are allowed to be made by compounded pharmacies, peptides may end up flooding the market, Dow noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think the most important thing for people to understand is that this new decision does not mean that the peptides that were voted upon are proven safe or effective. It\u2019s a regulatory classification, not a scientific endorsement,\u201d said Dow.<\/p>\n

In a statement to HuffPost, the FDA said the agency \u201cwill consider the PCAC\u2019s recommendations, consult USP [United States Pharmacopeia], and work to issue a proposed rule based on these considerations and all the information the agency has gathered. The public will have an opportunity to submit comments on the proposed rule and the agency will publish a final rule after considering those comments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PeptidesPeptides are all the rage on social media and online, but doctors say peptides that are not FDA-approved can be dangerous.<\/p>\n

What exactly are peptides?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPeptides are natural substances in our bodies. They\u2019re natural molecules,\u201d said Dr. Jonathan Long<\/a>, an associate professor of pathology at Stanford University in California. They\u2019re short trains of amino acids, added Anyaoku.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany peptides are hormones and chemical messengers, so they communicate between all the cells in our body, and they\u2019re really important for regulating all sorts of physiologic processes, including growth and metabolism and behavior,\u201d
said Long. \u201cBasically, anything related to our physiology in our bodies, there is some peptide that\u2019s likely underlying that process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tell other parts of your body what to do, and they\u2019re used for pretty much anything you can think of,\u201d said Waldman.<\/p>\n

\u201cGLP-1 is an example of one of these peptides. It\u2019s produced by our gut, and GLP-1 levels rise after a meal, and it\u2019s, for example, our body\u2019s natural way of responding to meals,\u201d Long added.<\/p>\n

Generally, peptides need to be injected.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peptides, largely, need to be injected. \u201cIf you eat them, if you consume them, for the most part, they get broken down by your stomach acid, and so that\u2019s why, for the longest time, the only way to to get them was injections,\u201d said Waldman.<\/p>\n

Yet, there are peptide pills coming on the market that \u201cmay be able to bypass\u201d the consumption issue, but they\u2019re new, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, the easiest way to get them to function in your body is to inject it directly into the blood system,\u201d noted Waldman.<\/p>\n

The six peptides that are potentially going to be unrestricted by the FDA all do different things.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The committee voted to allow compounding of six peptides that are said to do a range of things, including faster injury recovery, migraine treatment, wound recovery, insomnia and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of these six is a different entity in of itself with a potentially different safety and efficacy profile,\u201d said Long. \u201cSo, even talking about those six together may not make sense.\u201d <\/p>\n

Peptide medications are a valuable part of medicine, and do hold promise, but it\u2019s too soon to know if the peptides that are not FDA-approved are actually safe.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With what\u2019s known (and not known) about peptides right now, none of the doctors who spoke to HuffPost said they\u2019d recommend non-FDA-approved injectable peptides to patients.<\/p>\n

Anyaoku said she is regularly contacted by peptide companies to see if she wants to sell these non-FDA-approved peptides to her patients \u2014 but she does not.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally am not against the idea of peptides, I think that they are the building blocks of many great medications and potentially future medications, but I just feel that we should proceed with caution and keep patient safety at heart,\u201d said Anyaoku.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I recommend a medication to patients, I know the dose, I know the potential side effects, I know the mode of administration, how to inject it. I don\u2019t know that [about the new peptides], nor does anyone, and no one can tell you that they know that because these things just haven\u2019t objectively been studied,\u201d said Killeen, \u201cso, I just don\u2019t think, in good conscience, I can recommend to a patient injecting themselves with something that comes from dubious sources with insufficient evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long said his biggest concern is safety. These peptides have not gone through in-depth safety testing so we have no idea if they are safe to use. Beyond that, it\u2019s unknown if they even do what they say they do.<\/p>\n

Waldman has recommended a few peptide-containing topical cosmetics because they can be a \u201cnice boost\u201d for the skin, but aren\u2019t \u201cgame-changing.\u201d And, since they\u2019re applied topically to they skin, they are very different from an injectable.<\/p>\n

Even beyond what\u2019s happening at the FDA, people who are currently selling peptides on the internet are likely not actual medical professionals, Waldman said. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to talk to your doctor about the best options for your health issues instead of turning to an unregulated product online.<\/p>\n

These unregulated injectables can lead to serious problems, Waldman said.<\/p>\n

Some experts say the moves at the FDA are \u2018disappointing.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the FDA potentially moves to allow these peptides to be compounded, Long said it may be looked at as an endorsement from the FDA \u2014 which it is not.<\/p>\n

The FDA\u2019s mission is to defend public health and support public good, and Dow said it\u2019s \u201cdisappointing to see the FDA … throwing aside programs and support for programs that would actually benefit people writ large, and instead support these individualistic kinds of solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the FDA moves forward and allows these peptides to be unrestricted, they won\u2019t be held to the same standards as FDA-approved peptides, like GLP-1s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat history tells us about this is that typically you start to get regulation when people start to die or when there starts to become serious things like birth defects,\u201d Long saod. \u201cSo I think what\u2019s going to happen is that we\u2019re going to continue in this gray space where it\u2019s not clear these peptides … are they safe? Are they effective? And you\u2019ll get all sorts of anecdotes … and nobody\u2019s going to really know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr, if something happens and people start dying, and when that happens, then there\u2019s going to be regulatory oversight that has historically been how this goes … that would be my prediction of what the next 10 years are going to look like here,\u201d Long added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is truly the wild west where we are with peptides right now, and I think a lot remains to be seen about what this FDA decision will mean, and I think it\u2019s the public that stands to be harmed and companies that stand to benefit, and that\u2019s generally not what we want to see when it comes to an FDA decision,\u201d said Dow. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s hard to go anywhere without hearing talk of peptides, currently paramount in people\u2019s minds in large part…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":623738,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[274],"tags":[18,2898,135,19,17,462,24718,14162],"class_list":["post-623737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-eire","tag-fda","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-medication","tag-peptides","tag-robert-f-kennedy-jr"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117049205714710527","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/623738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}