{"id":49857,"date":"2025-11-14T01:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T07:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=49857"},"modified":"2025-11-14T01:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T07:12:33","slug":"americans-are-injecting-themselves-with-unproven-peptides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=49857","title":{"rendered":"Americans are injecting themselves with unproven peptides"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Associated Press — More Americans are injecting themselves with unapproved chemicals that are pitched as ways to build muscle, rejuvenate skin and extend life, the latest example of the nation\u2019s fascination with alternative therapies<\/a> and wellness hacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind the trend is the surging popularity of GLP-1 weight loss medications<\/a>, a class of so-called peptides approved to help users quickly shed pounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the peptides being promoted by influencers<\/a>, celebrities and wellness gurus<\/a> are different: Many have never been approved for human use and much of their purported evidence comes from studies in rats and other animals. Several peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, are banned by international sports authorities as doping substances<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone of them are proven,\u201d said Dr. Eric Topol, a research methods expert and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute. \u201cNone of them have gone through what would be considered adequate clinical trials, but nonetheless many people are taking these. It\u2019s actually quite extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who\u2019ve highlighted peptides\u2019 benefits include Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, who has built a national following<\/a> among Americans who are deeply skeptical of health experts, pharmaceutical companies and traditional medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, the Food and Drug Administration<\/a> has been trying to crack down on the space, sending warning letters<\/a> to clinics that promote the products and adding more than two dozen peptides to a list of ingredients that should not be made by specialty pharmacies that often custom mix the formulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That approach may be coming to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy has vowed to end “FDA\u2019s war\u201d on peptides and other alternative treatments<\/a> that are embraced by many in his Make America Healthy Again<\/a> movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of Kennedy\u2019s friends and associates<\/a> are among the biggest proponents, including self-described \u201cbiohacker\u201d and \u201clongevity expert\u201d Gary Brecka, who sells peptide injectables, patches and nasal sprays through his website for $350 to $600 each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a May appearance on Brecka\u2019s podcast, Kennedy again promised to \u201cend the war at FDA\u201d on peptides, stem cells<\/a>, psychedelics<\/a> and other fringe therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMusic to my ears,\u201d Brecka replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brecka declined to be interviewed for this story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peptides are essentially the building blocks of more complex proteins. Inside the human body, peptides trigger hormones needed for growth, metabolism and healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA has approved a number of peptides as medications, including insulin for diabetics<\/a> who don’t naturally produce it and human growth hormone for children with developmental disorders caused by low levels of the hormone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But many other peptides promoted online have never been approved, making them technically illegal to market as drugs. Under current FDA guidance these peptides also are ineligible for compounding<\/a> \u2014 the process in which pharmacies mix made-to-order medications for patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That hasn\u2019t stopped celebrities and influencers from touting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Rogan<\/a>, for example, has repeatedly praised BPC-157, a peptide derived from acids found in the gut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had tendonitis in my elbow, I started using BPC-157 and it was gone in two weeks,\u201d Rogan told his podcast audience last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is among the celebrity clients listed on the website of Ways 2 Well, a Texas-based company that offers peptides, stem cells<\/a>, vitamin infusions<\/a> and other alternative treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all part of \u201cthe circus of unproven, expensive and possibly dangerous\u201d offerings promoted by wellness and longevity clinics<\/a>, said Topol, who has written about the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For $99, Ways 2 Well offers a \u201cpeptide consult” with a physician, after which the company ships the peptide vials along with a \u201cfull kit with dosing, instructions and syringes,\u201d according to its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company founder Brigham Buhler is a former pharmaceutical sales rep. He did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Steinbrenner, a consulting executive, said she became intrigued by peptides after hearing about their benefits for \u201clongevity, repair, anti-aging and energy,\u201d from an acquaintance who runs a clinic outside of San Diego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steinbrenner and her husband now receive monthly infusions at the clinic, in addition to daily supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think peptides are popular right now because we are the aging generation and we are looking for alternatives to modern day medicine,\u201d she said. \u201cI absolutely believe in modern day, western medicine\u2014 it\u2019s necessary. But there\u2019s a lot of other things in the universe that the earth supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peptide proponents often suggest their products are safe because they are based on substances found in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnlike synthetic pharmaceuticals, peptides are naturally recognized by your body,\u201d Brecka told his more than 2 million Instagram followers in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics point out that the peptides for sale are often imperfect synthetics and are taken at doses much higher than any peptides in the body, raising the risk of allergic reactions and other harms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brecka sells more than a half-dozen peptides, including ipamorelin and CJC-1295 \u2014 both of which the FDA has flagged<\/a> for serious safety risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like other peptides sold on Brecka\u2019s website, the ipamorelin vials carry the labeling: \u201cresearch use only.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cresearch use\u201d language is pervasive across the peptide space, even in forums where users trade tips for buying, dosing and \u201cstacking\u201d different drug combinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Facebook group instructs members what words to avoid: \u201cinstead of \u2018taking\u2019 you are \u2019researching’ peptides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawyers who work in the field say the language is an attempt to skirt FDA regulations. The agency does not oversee chemicals that aren\u2019t intended for human use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s often unclear whether such peptides are being produced in the U.S. by pharmacies and mislabeled for research, or whether they are being purchased from chemical manufacturers, many located in China and not subject to FDA drug quality standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cResearch-grade peptides are going to have junk in them,\u201d said Paul Knoepfler, a cellular biologist at the University of California Davis. \u201cThey\u2019re going to have chemicals used in the purification process and fragments of peptides that you don\u2019t want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On platforms like TikTok, companies in China and other countries offer to ship dozens of peptide varieties to the U.S. for as little as $5 a vial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s actually in there?\u201d Knoepfler said. \u201cIf someone injects it under their skin, what are they getting?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>, the FDA issued over a half-dozen warning letters<\/a> to businesses promoting peptides with \u201cimmune-boosting powers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then in 2023, the agency added nearly 20 peptides to a list of substances that should not be compounded due to safety risks. Pharmacies violating the measure risk fines, legal action or potential loss of their state licenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That triggered pushback from wellness entrepreneurs and compounding pharmacies, including lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One coalition, Save Peptides, warned its followers: \u201cOur basic human rights to access alternative medical care using regenerative peptides is being stripped away by the FDA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lawsuit brought by a large compounding pharmacy alleged that regulators had skipped legally required steps when adding peptides to FDA’s list of high-risk substances. The litigation forced the agency to backtrack, and the FDA late last year agreed to convene two public meetings of outside advisers to review several peptides flagged for safety risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In each case, the experts agreed with the FDA, voting that the substances were too risky to be compounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some in the industry disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysicians should have every available arrow in the quiver to treat illness and, because of the FDA\u2019s inaction, they don\u2019t,\u201d said Lee Rosebush, who helped bring the lawsuit against FDA and represents a group of large compounding pharmacies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA, under Kennedy’s authority, recently removed a number of experts from the compounding advisory panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That could pave the way for appointing more peptide-friendly experts who might vote to allow some of the drugs that the FDA previously barred. Alternately, the FDA could simply release a list of peptides and tell pharmacies and clinics that the agency won’t enforce bans against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, doctors say they are fielding more questions from patients excited about peptides and seeking prescriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPatients should be really asking their health care professionals: Are these medications safe long term?\u201d says Dr. Anita Gupta of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who served on FDA\u2019s compounding committee until earlier this year. \u201cThat\u2019s the question I would ask if I was a patient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

abcnews<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Associated Press — More Americans are injecting themselves with unapproved chemicals that are pitched as ways to build muscle, rejuvenate skin and extend life, the latest example of the nation\u2019s fascination with alternative therapies and wellness hacks. Behind the trend is the surging popularity of GLP-1 weight loss medications, a class of so-called peptides approved to help users quickly shed pounds. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":49858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5784],"tags":[1199,35254,22676],"class_list":["post-49857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-americans","tag-injecting","tag-themselves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49857"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49859,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49857\/revisions\/49859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}