RFK Jr says he will allow widespread unapproved injections despite his FDA advising people not to use them

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that he will allow the widespread use of unapproved peptide injections despite the Food and Drug Administration previously advising people not to use them. Under Kennedy’s new policy, the Health and Human Services Department will not take enforcement action against doctors, pharmacies and other facilities that sell six peptide compounds.Compounding is a process in which a medically supervised person combines or alters ingredients of a drug to create a medication tailored to that person’s needs. There are already some FDA-approved peptide compounds, including insulin for diabetes and GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and while HHS admitted in a document shared on their website Wednesday that these drugs can “pose risks to patients,” the department believes “there is significant interest in the use of these peptides in compounding.”HHS argued that easing access to peptides will discourage people from using “research-use-only peptides” made in other countries and give people a “more controlled alternative.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that he will allow the widespread use of peptide injections despite the Food and Drug Administration previously advising people not to use them (Getty Images)Kennedy has “determined that the policy advances patient choice and freedom while appropriately protecting patient safety,” according to the document. FDA scientists had little input on Kennedy’s decision to ease access to the peptide compounds and opposed the changes, six people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. Kennedy told podcaster Joe Rogan — who endorsed Trump in the 2024 election but has also pushed back on the administration over several issues — that he was “a big fan of peptides.”Under Kennedy’s new policy, the Health and Human Services Department will not take enforcement action against doctors, pharmacies and other facilities that sell six peptide compounds (Getty Images)The health secretary said he’s used peptides on a couple of injuries and “with really good effect” in the February episode. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can help with hormone activity, digestion, tissue repair and more. HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard told The New York Times that the new policy on peptides requires “patient-specific prescriptions, traceable ingredients, quality testing and safety reporting to hold compounders accountable and give patients an alternative to unregulated sellers.”“The policy does not grant F.D.A. approval or establish clinical safety and effectiveness,” she added.