Health Secretary Kennedy moves to reverse FDA ban on peptide compounding, raising safety concerns

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to overturn a 2023 FDA rule that stopped compounding of certain peptides, a move that could reopen a market for products such as BPC-157 and GHK-Cu.

For several years a loophole in compounding regulations let specialty pharmacies produce and sell these so‑called "pop peptides" even though they lacked clinical trial data. The FDA closed that loophole in 2023 by reclassifying the substances as Category 2, meaning they could no longer be compounded.

Kennedy argues the earlier ban was misguided, but critics warn that undoing the rule would expose patients to untested compounds with unknown safety profiles. The opinion piece describes the potential public‑health risks as significant.

The proposal is still in the regulatory discussion phase, and its ultimate impact on the peptide market remains uncertain.