Key facts
- The Trump administration aims to create a regulated marketplace for peptides.
- The move aims to ensure safety and efficacy of peptides sold to consumers.
- A proposed FDA policy change could ease compounding restrictions on certain peptides.
- Outside FDA advisers recommended loosening restrictions on six of seven peptides under review.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday that the Trump administration intends to establish a regulated market for peptides, aiming to enhance consumer safety and access to these substances. The announcement comes in response to a proposed policy change by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is currently under White House review. This proposal could potentially make it easier for pharmacies to compound specific peptides. In July, external advisers to the FDA had recommended that the agency relax restrictions on six out of seven peptides being evaluated, contrary to the FDA staff's guidance. Peptides are amino acid chains used for various unproven purposes, including pain relief, muscle growth, and beauty enhancement, despite a lack of robust scientific evidence of their effectiveness and safety from human studies. Compounding pharmacies are permitted to prepare specialized doses of approved medicines under certain conditions.