FDA to weigh easing limits on unproven peptides favored by RFK Jr. and
other MAHA figures
[April 16, 2026]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting
this summer to consider easing restrictions on more than a half dozen
peptide injections, a group of unapproved therapies that have become
popular among wellness influencers, fitness gurus and celebrities.
The meeting announcement Wednesday follows repeated pledges by Health
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to loosen regulations on peptides, which
are often pitched as a quick way to build muscle, heal injuries or
appear younger. There's little research behind those claims and most
peptides have not been reviewed for safety by the FDA.
Kennedy has discussed using peptides for his own injuries. And some
major supporters of his Make America Healthy Again movement are big
proponents of them, including Gary Brecka, a self-described “longevity
expert" who sells various peptide formulas through his website.
The FDA said in a federal notice Wednesday it will ask a panel of
outside advisers to review seven peptides at a meeting in July,
specifically whether they should be added to a list of substances that
can be safely produced by pharmacies. In the meantime, the agency said
it would soon remove the chemicals from a restrictive list reserved for
unapproved, high-risk drugs. The peptides under discussion include some
of the most popular among influencers, such as BPC-157, which is
marketed to heal injuries and reduce inflammation.
“The Wild West is about to become wilder,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a
former FDA official who now leads the Center for Science in the Public
Interest. In an interview, Lurie said allowing peptides on the market
without clinical testing poses a “profound threat” to FDA's decades-old
system for vetting drugs.
“I don’t see why one would take the path of a proper drug approval if
there is now this less rigorous, alternative path to market,” he said.
Under President Joe Biden, the FDA added nearly 20 peptides to the
federal list of substances that should not be produced by compounding
pharmacies — businesses that mix medications that aren't available from
drugmakers.
At the time, the FDA's panel of pharmacy advisers voted overwhelmingly
that the peptides did not meet the criteria for substances that can be
safely compounded. And FDA regulators agreed, saying later that the
substances “present significant safety risks,” because most have not
been extensively tested in humans.
Many of the FDA advisers and internal staff who oversaw those decisions
no longer work for the agency. The FDA's pharmacy panel currently has a
number of vacancies, which Kennedy could fill before the July meeting.
Kennedy previewed Wednesday's move in an interview with podcast host Joe
Rogan. Both men have repeatedly spoken about peptides and claimed to
have benefited from their use.
RFK Jr. claims personal benefit from peptides
“I’m a big fan of peptides,” Kennedy told Rogan. “I’ve used them myself
and with really good effect on a couple of injuries.”
Given Kennedy's statements, Lurie said it was doubtful the drugs would
receive real scrutiny from FDA.
“Everybody knows the outcome that the secretary wants,” Lurie said. “I
don’t believe for one moment that what’s going on here is an honest
investigation of whether these products should be compounded.”
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 Scott Brunner of the Alliance for
Pharmacy Compounding said the coming meeting will be the start of a
“protracted process.” Even if the panel votes to make the peptides
available, and FDA agrees, the agency will still have to draft and
publish rules on the change, he noted.
Peptides are essentially the building blocks of
more complex proteins. Inside the human body, peptides trigger
hormones needed for growth, metabolism and healing.
In recent years peptides have become widely known through the
blockbuster success of GLP-1 medications, which the FDA has approved
for treating obesity and diabetes. Other FDA-approved peptides
include insulin for diabetics and hormone-based drugs for several
medical conditions.
But many of the peptides promoted online have never been approved,
making them technically illegal to market as drugs. Several
peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, are banned by international
sports authorities as doping substances.
But that has not stopped them from gaining a foothold in the
burgeoning marketplace for wellness hacks and alternative remedies.
“I think this is a disaster in the works,” said Dr. Eric Topol of
Scripps Research Translational Institute, who has studied the issue.
“These peptides have no data to support their safety and efficacy.”
Meanwhile, some dietary supplement makers have begun mixing peptides
into capsules, protein powders and gummies. At a recent FDA meeting,
the industry argued for expanding the federal definition of
supplements to permit the use of newer ingredients like peptides in
their products.
Safety risks were cited previously
When the FDA added a number of injectable peptides to its list of
restricted substances in 2023, it cited safety risks including
cancer and liver, kidney and heart problems.
That triggered pushback from wellness entrepreneurs, compounding
pharmacies and their allies in Washington.
Last year several members of Congress, including Republican Sen.
Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, sent letters to Kennedy asking him to
lift limits on peptide production.
Some in the compounding industry argue that FDA's restrictions have
given rise to an illicit market of imported chemicals from China and
other countries, which are not subject to U.S. drug standards.
Kennedy has echoed those concerns.
“With the gray market you have no idea if you’re getting a good
product,” Kennedy told Rogan. “And a lot of this stuff that we’ve
looked at is just very, very substandard.”
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