Key facts
- Pharmacies and physicians will be allowed to compound drugs using certain peptide ingredients.
- The temporary allowance is pending a decision on formal permission for the substances.
- An FDA advisory panel recommended fewer restrictions on six of seven peptides reviewed.
- BPC-157, a tissue-repair compound, is among the peptides with loosened restrictions.
The US health department is set to temporarily permit the compounding of drugs using certain peptide ingredients by pharmacies and physicians. This move comes as regulators consider whether these substances should be formally approved for use in compounded medicines. The decision aligns with a July recommendation from an FDA advisory panel to ease restrictions on several peptides, including the widely used tissue-repair compound BPC-157. Peptides, short chains of amino acids, have seen a surge in popularity over the past year for applications ranging from anti-aging to muscle recovery.