Key facts
- Six unproven peptides are now permitted for sale by compounding pharmacies.
- The policy was enacted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., overriding FDA scientists.
- The peptides are popular among members of the Make America Health Again movement.
- The FDA had previously deemed the peptides unsafe for compounding due to insufficient evidence.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has implemented a new policy that allows compounding pharmacies to sell six specific peptide drugs, effectively overruling the Food and Drug Administration's prior concerns about their safety and efficacy. The policy, titled "Enforcement Discretion Policy Regarding 503A Compounding Using Certain Peptide Bulk Drug Substances," was made available Wednesday on the Federal Register and will be officially published on October 30. This move allows the Department of Health and Human Services to refrain from enforcement actions against pharmacies producing these peptides, which are popular within Kennedy's Make America Health Again movement. FDA scientists maintain that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate the peptides' effectiveness and highlight potential dangers.