Doctors Question Safety of Unapproved Peptides as HHS Weighs Wider Access

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to allow specialty pharmacies to compound certain synthetic peptides supported by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who told podcaster Joe Rogan in a February 2026 interview that he is a “big fan” of the injectables. According to CNBC, the move would be an interim access policy covering specific peptides not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The prospect has drawn scrutiny because multiple peptides, including BPC-157—one of the compounds reportedly included in the health department’s proposal—appear on an FDA list of injectables that “may present significant safety risks.” BPC-157 has shown potential anti-inflammatory effects in some animal and laboratory studies, but it has not undergone large-scale human testing for safety or effectiveness, according to the report.

Dr. Caleb Alexander, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC that one of the main reasons for concern is “the absence of evidence,” including robust human studies on safety and effectiveness.

Peptides are chemical compounds made up of short chains of amino acids. Dr. Alison Dempsey, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, described them as “kind of like the building blocks of proteins.” Several types occur naturally in the body, including insulin and endorphins. Peptides can also be synthesized in laboratories, and GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic are FDA-approved synthetic peptides, according to the report.

The unapproved injectable peptides drawing attention include BPC-157 and GHK-Cu, which has been marketed as a potential anti-aging drug, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an internist at Cambridge Health Alliance. Cohen told CNBC that the success of drugs like Ozempic in treating obesity and diabetes may have encouraged the idea that other peptides could produce similar benefits in other areas.

Cohen cautioned that a compound’s status as a peptide “doesn’t mean it’s close to Ozempic in any way, shape or form ... in terms of both its chemical structure or its effects on the human body,” according to CNBC. Synthetic peptides sold on social media and the gray market—often made by overseas sellers and sold to U.S. consumers outside the normal American drug regulatory system—are promoted with claims about longevity, sleep quality, immune function, skin health and sexual function, Alexander said.

Dempsey said word of mouth in peptide marketing has “strongly surpassed where we are with any type of research.” The experts who spoke with CNBC Make It recommended against using any injectable peptides not approved by the FDA, especially when consumers are unsure where or how they were produced, and said people should consult a medical professional before making major health changes.

Cohen’s recommendation was not to use any of the novel, unstudied injectable peptides because it is unknown whether they work and, if they do, whether they are safe, CNBC reported. He also said buyers on the gray market can receive entirely different compounds or doses.

Editor's Summary

The CNBC report says unapproved injectable peptides are being promoted online with limited human data, while HHS reportedly considers interim access for some compounds, including BPC-157. Doctors recommend against using unapproved injectable peptides and urge consultation with medical professionals. The regulatory debate centers on consumer interest in peptides and FDA safety concerns.