Maya Kamat, Contributing Writer
Over the last few years, peptides — short chains of amino acids — have grown in popularity within the wellness community. They are frequently promoted by celebrities, including Joe Rogan and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as drugs that can boost healing, restore youth and help with weight loss.
While many of these peptides are sold on the “gray market” as research-only substances, there are many peptides that are Food and Drug Administration approved and commercially available. In fact, the most widely used peptide drug is insulin, commonly used to treat diabetes. Weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, are also peptides.
However, many of the newer peptides marketed by celebrities do not have sufficient human research to back up their effectiveness, according to the American Medical Association. Last April, the AMA released a statement on peptides that highlighted how many of the drugs that have grown in popularity have unknown side effects and lack clear guidelines for usage.
The people using grey market peptides are essentially experimenting with their health.
When I first learned about the use of peptides in wellness spaces, I was deeply confused. RFK Jr. has done so much to undermine the effectiveness of vaccines, one of the most researched injectable treatments, yet has somehow helped bolster the surge of understudied, unregulated peptides.
One of RFK Jr.’s most prominent claims is that he wants to increase transparency in drug research to prevent corruption from large pharmaceutical companies. While I do agree that drug research sponsored by pharmaceutical companies does pose a valid conflict of interest, the answer is not approving medications without significant research.
Last July, an FDA advisory committee voted to approve six new peptides for compounding in an eight-to-six vote, according to PBS. Several of the panelists were added just prior to the vote and had connections to companies that would directly benefit financially from the change.
According to the FDA, while the vote does not force the FDA to approve these peptides, it does help RFK Jr. in loosening regulations on drugs like peptides in the future. RFK Jr. talks about how he wants to put healthcare decisions back in the hands of the people; however, encouraging people to try unresearched products is dangerous and irresponsible.
People should have a say in their healthcare decisions, but it should be an informed decision. The average person should not have to run experiments on their own bodies — that is the job of the scientists. Americans should not have to decide if a drug is safe — that is the role of the FDA and their physician. Experts study and train for years to excel at their jobs and when the government puts the responsibility of experts on the people, that specifically undermines the work of scientists and public health officials.
It is not a surprise that the current administration continues to fan the flames of mistrust in science within the American public but the scientific community needs to recognize that some of the mistrust is caused by a history of unethical practices, corruption in the drug market and medical racism.
Governmental bodies like the FDA are designed to protect the American public and their roles should not change when the administration does. The scientific community needs to step up for the American public. That starts with holding scientific research to the highest standard and prioritizing safety over profit.