Trump Administration Moves to Expand Access to Peptides Favored by RFK Jr.
The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan that could make it easier for Americans to get peptides, the trendy wellness injections championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Department of Health and Human Services has sent a peptides "interim access policy" to the White House for review, according to a government website posting Thursday. The plan went to the Office of Management and Budget, which reviews federal rules that could have a significant economic impact, The Associated Press reported.
What the Plan Would Do
The White House filing did not include details, and HHS did not respond to requests for comment. But two people familiar with the plan told the AP it would let compounding pharmacies temporarily make some popular peptides, including BPC-157, which is promoted for building muscle and healing injuries.
The approach relies on what is known as enforcement discretion. That means the Food and Drug Administration would simply choose not to go after pharmacies producing certain peptides.
Formally adding peptides to the FDA's list of substances considered safe for compounding would require a federal rulemaking process. That could take years and involve multiple rounds of public comment. It is unclear whether the administration plans to take that route.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. In the body, they trigger hormones involved in growth, metabolism and healing.
Some peptide drugs, including GLP-1 medications for diabetes and weight loss, have been thoroughly tested and approved. The peptides at the center of this plan have not gone through that review. People seek them out to bulk up, look younger and boost energy, but those uses are not FDA-approved, and most of the available data comes from animal studies.
Many users inject peptides under the skin, sometimes combining several at once, NPR reported. For anyone curious about trying them, experts suggest mastering a few healthy habits first.
Safety Concerns Remain
The FDA had placed BPC-157 and more than a dozen other injectable peptides on its list of substances too risky to compound. The agency has cited potential risks including contamination, allergic reactions and tumor growth.
Earlier this year, Kennedy directed the FDA to reconsider a short list of these substances. In July, an outside FDA advisory panel selected by HHS recommended dropping restrictions on six of the seven peptides it reviewed. The panel included doctors, pharmacists and consultants who work in the peptide field.
FDA staff scientists disagreed. They said none of the peptides had been studied enough to show they are safe and effective.
Chemical biologist Eileen Kennedy has warned of possible harm to the liver and kidneys, or a dangerous immune reaction. "They're injecting themselves with things that are potentially dangerous," integrative medicine specialist Dr. Myles Spar told NPR, referring to people who buy peptides from unregulated sources.
Kennedy's Push to End the "War" on Peptides
Before joining the administration, Kennedy declared that the "FDA's war" on peptides and other wellness products would soon end. As health secretary, he has argued that U.S. compounding pharmacies should be allowed to sell peptides because Americans are already turning to "gray market" products made in China and elsewhere. Those products remain widely available online, including on TikTok.
Some supporters of the change see it as a way to bring those products under oversight. FDA law expert Robin Feldman told NPR that doing so is "probably a good move," but said the agency would need to follow up to prevent misleading marketing and new black-market sellers.
A Booming Business
Wall Street analysts estimate the peptide market could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion. Telehealth companies Hims & Hers and Noom have both announced plans to offer peptides if federal access is eased, and some of the biggest names in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement sell peptide injections and supplements.
Brigham Buhler, a wellness clinic operator who sells peptides online, praised the proposal on X, calling it "huge."
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