The Food and Drug Administration is debating whether seven unapproved peptides can be used in certain combination prescription drugs. If approved, many advocates in the wellness industry would be happy, but others in the medical community would frown due to health concerns.
The FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee will consider these peptides, which have gained popularity for their claimed health benefits, at a meeting scheduled for July 23 and 24.
Compounding pharmacies, like pharmacies that sell mass-produced drugs, do not receive FDA approval for their formulations. According to the FDA, formulations must still be manufactured using only FDA-approved ingredients and are regulated by state and federal agencies.
In 2023, the FDA banned compounding pharmacies from manufacturing certain peptides because the agency identified them as posing a “potentially significant safety risk.”
Potential side effects identified by the FDA include cardiotoxicity, infection, pancreatitis, increased or decreased insulin sensitivity, severe immune reactions, melanoma, and death. In most cases, the FDA said there was not enough testing or evidence to prove the peptides were safe or effective for use in humans.
What is a peptide?
Peptides are short strings of amino acids and are the building blocks of the body’s proteins.
Peptides “act like a conductor in a biological orchestra” by helping with hormone regulation, improving immune responses, and triggering neurotransmitters, explains Josh Redd, a naturopathic medicine physician, founder of Red River Health and Wellness, and author of “The Truth About Hypothyroidism.”
“This is why peptides are becoming popular in the research world for the treatment of aging, obesity, cancer, diabetes and more, in addition to enhancing athletic performance,” he previously told USA TODAY.
There are many different peptides as well, and “each serves a unique function to help the body,” Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, previously told USA TODAY.
Our bodies use different types of peptides for many important functions, such as blood pressure regulation and digestion. For example, insulin is a type of peptide produced by the pancreas that controls blood sugar.
Similar to insulin, there are human-made synthetic peptides that can be used to treat certain deficiencies and medical conditions. Some studies have shown that certain peptides may have anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and muscle-building properties, making them popular in the wellness world.
Do foods contain peptides?
Peptides are naturally produced in the body, but are also found in certain foods.
Red says animal foods such as meat, milk and eggs are the “best sources” of peptides. Plant-based ingredients such as legumes, flaxseed, hemp seeds, soybeans, oats and wheat are also “rich in active peptides,” Bracamonte added.
“Every food we eat is broken down into amino acids in the body,” Dr. Mary Stevenson, associate professor of dermatology at New York University Langone Health, previously told USA TODAY.
What RFK Jr. said about peptides
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a self-proclaimed peptide supporter and has close ties to several vocal proponents and compound sellers, including Dr. Gary Brecka and Dr. Mark Hyman, both of whom sell several products claiming to contain beneficial peptides. and Brigham Buehler, a pharmacy owner who Kennedy previously hosted on a podcast.
Contributors: Darryl Austin and Mary Walrus Holdridge, USA TODAY
