Peptides: RFK Jr lets US pharmacies make six unapproved wellness injections

Peptides, the injectable compounds sold in the wellness world for muscle growth, injury healing and energy, became easier to obtain in the United States on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he had determined that compounding pharmacies may prepare six peptides that have no approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and Epitalon. The policy tells the FDA not to act against licensed pharmacies that make them on a prescription, even though the agency's own scientists opposed the change.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Some peptide medicines are fully tested and approved, such as insulin. The six in this policy are different: they have been promoted online by fitness influencers, "biohackers" and longevity sellers, with claims that they repair tendons, build muscle, sharpen focus or slow ageing. That is why "peptides" was among the searches trending in the United Kingdom on October 29, and why the topic reaches young gym-goers far outside the US.

Compounding pharmacies mix medicines to order for a specific patient. In the US they may normally use only substances on an official list. FDA reviewers had looked at BPC-157 and reported that the studies behind it were short, used small groups of people and tested doses that were likely exploratory. In plain terms, there is not yet good proof that it works in humans, or of what long-term use does. The new policy does not change that evidence. It only changes whether regulators will step in.

The decision is also a step back from what HHS first wanted. According to people involved, officials had planned for the FDA to write a formal regulation adding BPC-157 and the others to the approved compounding list. That process needs rounds of public comment and can take years. Enforcement discretion is faster, but it can also be withdrawn more easily. It was not clear whether the formal route will still be followed.

Critics questioned both the process and the timing. Robert Steinbrook of the consumer group Public Citizen said the move undermines the FDA. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official, questioned why it came days before the US midterm elections. Kennedy has called himself a fan of peptides and has said he has used them himself.

For Indian readers, the policy has no legal effect in India, where medicines are regulated separately. But the online market for these products is global, and claims made in US videos and posts travel fast. A US decision not to prosecute pharmacies is not the same as proof that a product is safe.

Short-term: Licensed US pharmacies can make the six peptides for patients with a prescription without fear of FDA action, and sellers are likely to market them more openly. Public comments on the notice run for about two weeks after its October 30 publication.

Long-term: Unless the peptides are formally added to the compounding list through rulemaking, the policy depends on HHS keeping it in place. Regulators, doctors and researchers will be watching side-effect reports, which the policy requires pharmacies to file, for the first real data on wider use.

Who is affected: Young adults and athletes who follow fitness and wellness content, US patients and doctors, compounding pharmacies, and regulators in other countries who must deal with products bought online across borders.

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