FDA Advisors Vote to Expand Access to Peptide Promoted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Food and Drug Administration health advisors voted Thursday in favor of expanding public access to a peptide chemical that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted.

The panel of advisors voted 8-6 to recommend broadening BPC-157, a popular peptide. They are expected to vote on six other peptides Friday.

That’s despite skepticism from scientists about the safety and efficiency of peptide injections, which are amino acid chains injected directly into the body that are popular among wellness influencers.

Podcasters Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman have both claimed that the injections can help heal injuries. Hollywood stars like Jennifer Aniston have also touted their anti-aging benefits.

Kennedy, a self-described “big fan of peptides,” had pushed for looser regulations around them that would allow certain pharmacies to produce seven peptide injections.

The FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted in favor of expanding access to BPC-157, a popular peptide often marketed as a way to treat injuries, inflammation and potentially ulcerative colitis.

In briefing documents submitted to the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, some experts warned that the peptides are “extremely sensitive” to formulation and environmental conditions and lack evidence that they treat the conditions claimed.

Experts said there was a general lack of evidence, effectiveness and safety information about the use of BPC-157.

Members of the advisory committee vote on proposals, but FDA officials make the final recommendation to the commissioner. Ultimately, Kennedy can overrule the FDA’s decision.

Since the FDA removed more than a dozen peptides from compounding pharmacies’ list in 2023, the injectables have been sold online as “research grade.”

Pharmaceutical compounding is the process of mixing ingredients to create customized medication for a patient.

One document warns that a peptide, MOTS-c, marketed online to promote the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver, insulin resistance and weight loss, hasn’t been proven safe for human use in compounded drugs.

Some peptides have limited research in animals, such as rats, that indicates they could promote wound healing or reduce inflammation. But the research is limited, much of it untested on humans, and has shown severe side effects.

Of the seven peptides being reviewed, experts said none should be made available for compounding.

Before being confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Kennedy had said he wanted to end the FDA’s “war on public health,” including “its aggressive suppression” of peptides.

In recent months, Kennedy has argued the U.S. “created the black market” system by removing peptides from the FDA.

Kennedy, who often promotes alternative, sometimes unproven, medical advice, is known for being skeptical of science-backed medical information. He has a long history of sharing misinformation about well-established vaccines and promoted baseless conspiracies about the causal link between vaccinations and autism.

Under his HHS leadership, he’s fired career scientists and staff at key public health agencies and installed like-minded allies into crucial roles.