# FDA panel backs easier access to peptides - NPR

*Источник: NPR*
*Дата: 2026-07-23*
*Язык: en*

**Кратко:** JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Experimental peptide therapies could be getting the green light soon. Today, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the federal government lift restrictions on several of these compounds, which have become wildly popular in the wellness and longevity space.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Experimental peptide therapies could be getting the green light soon. Today, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the federal government lift restrictions on several of these compounds, which have become wildly popular in the wellness and longevity space. The meeting kicked off this morning. It continues through tomorrow. NPR health correspondent Will Stone has been watching. Hi.
WILL STONE, BYLINE: Hey there.
SUMMERS: So, Will, why is the FDA looking at these peptides now?
STONE: Well, at the moment, these trendy peptide therapies cannot be made legally in the U.S. unless it's for research purposes. That means patients cannot order them from a pharmacy. To be clear, there are peptide drugs that have been studied rigorously in humans - for example, the GLP-1 weight loss drugs. The ones we're talking about here are very different. These are not FDA-approved. They have not undergone large, well-controlled trials in humans. They are, however, promoted heavily online. They're often taken as injections for injury recovery, muscle growth, fat loss, athletic performance, metabolism and so on.
Several years ago, President Biden - under President Biden, the FDA decided to prohibit compounding pharmacies from making many of them because of safety concerns. But demand has not gone away. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly said he would like them to become available again. So this committee is making recommendations on whether that should happen.
SUMMERS: And you've been watching all day. So what argument have you heard for loosening these restrictions?
STONE: Mostly it has to do with the perils of the gray market. The panel heard hours of public comment today, a lot of that from the peptide industry. Quite a few people described how patients are now getting unvetted substances online from sketchy suppliers, and it's created a very scary situation. Take a listen to what Dr. Jessica Duncan told the panel. She's with a telehealth company called Ivím Health.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JESSICA DUNCAN: Many of my patients are already using these drugs. They're just getting them from the worst possible places. They come for a visit. They hold up a vial with no label, no dose, no ingredient list - something they ordered based on a video that they saw on their phone. They don't know what they're taking or how much.
STONE: I heard echoes of this from experts on the panel. There has been some controversy because that panel was recently overhauled. It includes a handful of people with ties to the peptide industry, though the Trump administration has said all the members were vetted for conflicts.
SUMMERS: And, Will, how have they been voting?
STONE: Well, they have seven peptides to go through one by one today and tomorrow, and so far, they've been voting in favor of lifting the restrictions, including for a popular peptide known as BPC-157. And it's remarkable because the votes run counter to what the FDA's own scientists are recommending, which was that these restrictions on peptides should stay in place, largely because there's not enough data on safety, effectiveness, dosing. In fact, one FDA official said a big problem is they don't really know how to characterize these substances in the first place.
And there were some on the panel who seem concerned. Dr. Brian Lee is a professor at USC. He said the public could see any easing restrictions by the FDA as an endorsement.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BRIAN LEE: I think this endorsement can be potentially harmful, and I cannot in good conscience vote yes.
STONE: But Lee was in the minority on the panel, which overall did vote in favor of these peptides.
SUMMERS: Got it. So, Will, what comes next?
STONE: Well, the recommendations are not binding. It's ultimately up to the FDA, though they typically heed the committee's advice. This could make these unapproved peptides much more widely available. Patients would have a supply that's above board. And all of this could be quite lucrative for the peptide industry.
SUMMERS: NPR health correspondent Will Stone, thank you.
STONE: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF FLO SONG, "SUMMERTIME")
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