Reckless RFK Jr. Plunges Ahead with ‘Enforcement Discretion Policy” that Widens Availability of Unproven and Unapproved Peptides
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bypassing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a draft “enforcement discretion policy” that will allow six popular but unproven and unapproved peptides to be sold and otherwise available without threat of federal enforcement actions. Kennedy is a strong proponent of peptides, which he has used to treat his own injuries. The six peptides, discussed at a FDA advisory committee meeting in July 2026, are BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax, and TB-500.
Dr. Robert Steinbrook, Health Research Group Director at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Apparently frustrated because the agency stood firm against his nonsensical pledge to end the FDA’s ‘war on peptides,’ Secretary Kennedy has acted recklessly and unilaterally to put Americans in danger. Kennedy has no scientific or medical qualifications. By allowing unproven and potentially unsafe peptides to be manufactured, marketed and prescribed without concern about potential federal enforcement actions, Kennedy has undermined the FDA and threatened public health. All peptide substances should go through the standard FDA approval process for new drugs. The HHS Secretary should support, not sabotage, needed FDA enforcement actions to protect consumers.
“Clinicians should ask their patients about peptide use and counsel them about the risks, which include contamination, impurities, unknown adverse effects, as well as on the dangers of relying on the idiosyncratic opinions of online influencers as opposed to convincing medical evidence. This is a sad day for the FDA and for public health.”