Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is signaling he may undo a Food and Drug Administration move that sidelined a class of anti-aging and fitness drugs, over the objections of scientists. As secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, Kennedy has blasted the FDA's 2023 decision that 19 injectable peptides were too risky for compounding pharmacies, calling it "illegal" and insisting regulators lacked a "safety signal," per ProPublica. Three former FDA officials say that's wrong: They cite documented safety concerns, including immune reactions and adverse events (some involving deaths in clinical trials), and note that the agency is required to weigh both safety and effectiveness before permitting compounding.
Little new research has emerged since the ban, even as demand for peptides has surged via spas, influencers, and gray-market sellers. "It's 100% 'bro' science," notes orthopedic surgeon Noah Raizman to the New York Times of the uptick. Industry groups are now pressing Kennedy to loosen restrictions and let regulated compounders dispense peptides without the usual human trials, arguing that would be safer than the current underground market, per ProPublica. "We created the black market, and it's a very dangerous black market," Kennedy concurs, per the Times.
USA Today notes that in a February appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, RFK Jr. noted, "My hope is that [the peptides are] going to get moved to a place where people have access from ethical suppliers." Former FDA acting chief Janet Woodcock tells ProPublica that a shortcut would effectively greenlight unapproved, untested drugs and break a decades-old expectation that medicines must be proven to work before broad use. Kennedy hasn't said which peptides he'd allow, or how he'd do it—but, as Woodcock notes, he has the authority to act. More here.
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