An FDA Committee Just Voted in Favor of Peptides—Despite the Agency's Opposition

In a highly unusual move, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee voted against FDA staff’s own advice in a meeting on July 23, recommending that two peptides, called BP-157 and KPV, be added to a list that will allow certain specialty pharmacies to dispense them. Currently, those peptides—and the other five being considered—are in a legal gray area. Here’s what to know.What are peptides?Peptides are short chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Peptide concoctions have grown in popularity over the past several years as injectable substances that proponents claim improve energy, sleep, sex drive, and more. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has supported reclassifying peptides to improve people’s access to them. However, experts have expressed concern that there is little scientific evidence to support the peptides being considered. Why is an FDA committee meeting about peptides? The FDA convened the committee meeting on July 23 and 24 to debate whether to recommend that seven popular peptides be included on a list, called the 503A bulks list, that would allow compounding pharmacies to dispense them. Many of the voti...