An FDA advisory committee has voted to recommend easing restrictions on several peptide therapies, following a two-day meeting in which panel members, FDA scientists and industry figures debated the evidence behind substances currently sold online, often labelled "for research use only". Of seven peptides reviewed, six were recommended for reclassification, which would allow specialised US pharmacies to legally compound and dispense them; one, an insomnia treatment called Emideltide, was rejected. The move, publicly backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., matters because it could significantly widen legal access to substances that currently lack robust human safety data.

The six peptides recommended for reclassification are BPC-157, MOTS-c, KPV, TB-500, Epitalon and Semax, none of which are currently approved by the FDA. The panel notably included eight newly appointed members with ties to the peptide industry, and FDA scientists cautioned that the therapies lack large-scale clinical trials. One committee member, Dr Elizabeth Rebello, warned the decision reflected market-driven demand rather than solid science. The full reclassification process could stretch into 2028, with a further meeting on additional peptides scheduled for February.