An FDA advisory panel has recommended approving six of seven popular peptide therapies, including BPC-157, TB-500 and MOTS-c, for production by compounding pharmacies, marking the first serious regulatory attention paid to a booming but currently illegal wellness market. The peptides are widely used off-label for injury recovery, muscle growth and fat loss, but none have undergone the large-scale human trials normally required for drug approval, so the vote is only a recommendation and the FDA must still make a formal decision before any product can be legally sold.

FDA scientists themselves advised against approval, citing a lack of published human safety data, while supporters, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and doctors who prescribe the peptides, argue there should be a regulated pathway rather than leaving patients reliant on unverified "research-only" products bought online. The most likely route forward is the FDA adding the peptides to its Category One compounding list, letting pharmacies begin manufacturing while broader rulemaking continues; even then, sourcing ingredients could take anywhere from two to nine months, and the drugs would only be available by prescription through compounding pharmacies rather than standard retail chains.