US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference announcing new actions aimed at combating fraud, waste, and abuse across federal health programs, in Washington, DC, US, October 14, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to expand access to injectable peptide drugs faced overwhelming opposition from a group of Food and Drug Administration scientists, prompting the Trump appointee’s department to change tactics.
That’s according to an Associated Press report published Wednesday, which cited six people familiar with the policy’s development. Most FDA scientific staff opposed the effort, warning it could weaken the agency’s mission of “keeping unproven health products off the US market.”
Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services initially sought a regulation declaring certain peptides safe for use by compounding pharmacies, which make customized medications.
“FDA officials warned that the agency’s scientific staffers had major safety concerns and would not support a regulation deeming them safe,” the AP reported Wednesday. “HHS officials moved to a different approach that directs the FDA not to enforce its rules against pharmacies that compound the substances.”
The shift allows sales without FDA approval establishing the drugs’ safety and effectiveness. The substances are promoted for muscle growth, injury recovery and increased energy.
Kennedy has called himself a “big fan” of peptides and described using BPC-157 for a muscle injury. An HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.