U.S. health officials are moving ahead with a plan to allow specialty pharmacies to produce certain peptides, a class of largely unregulated injections that have become popular among followers of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other wellness influencers.
Kennedy's Department of Health and Human Services submitted a peptides "interim access policy" to the White House for review, according to a posting Thursday on a government website. The plan was sent to the Office of Management and Budget, which reviews federal rules and regulations with the potential for significant economic impact.
HHS officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday afternoon.
Peptides are the building blocks of more complex proteins, triggering hormones inside the body needed for growth, metabolism and healing. Drug companies have brought several to market as medications, including mainstay treatments for diabetes and weight loss.
But the ones at issue here haven't gone through that rigorous vetting process. Nevertheless, they have gained a foothold among Americans interested in bulking up, looking younger or boosting energy. Those uses are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and most of the data on peptides comes from animal studies.