Technology and Scienceupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 12 October 2026HHS Orders FDA To Stop Enforcement Against Pharmacies Selling Six Unproven Peptides
6 Western Mainstream1 OtherPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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HHS policy grants enforcement discretion allowing pharmacies to sell six unproven peptides Kennedy Jr. Health Secretary RFK Jr. overrules FDA scientists, broadening access to these peptides
HHS eases peptide enforcement
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a loosening of restrictions on six unproven peptides on Wednesday, directing the FDA not to take action against specialty pharmacies that sell a half-dozen wellness peptides.
The policy covers BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax, and TB-500, and it is titled “Enforcement Discretion Policy Regarding 503A Compounding Using Certain Peptide Bulk Drug Substances.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he uses some of the peptides and called himself a “big fan,” while FDA scientists continued to say there is insufficient evidence to show if they’re effective and they are potentially dangerous.
The policy does not change the regulatory status of the peptide, and it states HHS will no longer take enforcement action against compounding pharmacies for making the peptides, with final publication data set for October 30.
The Associated Press reported that FDA scientific staffers had little input and opposed the changes, while the government said it would take comments on the measure for two weeks.
FDA pushback and MAHA allies
Lee Rosebush of the American Academy of Peptide Medicine said in an online post that HHS had taken “a huge step for patient and provider medical freedom.”
Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who now leads the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, said, “As people “are diverted from those drugs toward this stuff, there will be more unnecessary pain and suffering,” said Lurie, who now leads the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.”
HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said the new policy requires “patient-specific prescriptions, traceable ingredients, quality testing and safety reporting to hold compounders accountable and give patients an alternative to unregulated sellers.”
Public Citizen’s Dr. Robert Steinbrook warned that Kennedy had “undermined the FDA and threatened public health,” adding that “All peptide substances should go through the standard FDA approval process for new drugs.”
Market access, safeguards, and risk
Wall Street analysts estimated the market could be worth more than $2 billion, as the policy directs the FDA not to enforce its rules against pharmacies that compound the substances. Joshua Fritzler, the president of Olympia and Wesley Pharmaceuticals in central Florida, said, “We won't be able to meet demand,” explaining that Olympia will likely only compound one of the six peptides and needs to get its facility ready first. The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding’s CEO Scott Brunner wrote in a statement that his group is pleased with the administration’s decision because it offers a “more accountable alternative” for patients seeking gray market peptides.
Willie Underwood III, president of the American Medical Association, criticized the policy shift by saying the peptides have “not undergone the rigorous testing required of FDA-approved drugs.” The policy’s approach also drew consumer advocacy objections, with Shabbir Safda of the Partnership for Safe Medicines saying the decision leaves Americans in a “grey area as to whether peptides are safe or not.”
