security concerns
On March 22, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy was “ready” to follow through on his plan to lift the FDA ban on peptides. Two days later, the editorial board of The Washington Post described Kennedy’s plans as “hypocritical shrewdness.” Today, The New York Times reports that the FDA is moving to allow compounding pharmacies to make 14 currently banned peptides. The Times noted that top FDA leaders are “apprehensive” about the changes and potential criticism that the agency is making decisions based on politics rather than evidence.
It is not clear which 14 peptides are being considered for easier access. But some popular peptides are expected to be on the list, including BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157), which was first isolated from gastric juice and is claimed to promote tissue repair. It also contains the growth-hormone-releasing peptides CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin.
Experts note that there is no randomized controlled trial data to prove that any of these peptides work. Additionally, experts are concerned about various safety concerns, including impurities from gray- or black-market products, random dosage sizes, as well as combinations of unproven peptides, sometimes referred to as “stacks.” For example, growth-stimulating peptides have the potential to promote cancer, and others can cause hormonal imbalance. Last year, two women became seriously ill after receiving peptide injections at an anti-aging conference in Las Vegas.
Data on these peptides are “very scant,” Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, told the Times. “It’s a mess, because we don’t have any data that these work,” he said. “Maybe one of them actually does something good. But right now, we just know they’re a liability.”
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