An FDA advisory panel voted 8-6 to allow compounding pharmacies to produce the popular peptide BPC-157, a non-binding recommendation that signals a potential win for the burgeoning wellness industry. The vote came despite FDA staff scientists citing a lack of safety and efficacy data from human trials. The decision follows a push by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to expand access and was made by a panel that included members with financial ties to the peptide industry.
FDA peptide review meeting
- ▪An FDA advisory panel voted 8-6, with one abstention, to allow pharmacies to compound the peptide BPC-157
- ▪The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee met on July 23 and 24, 2026, to review seven popular peptides
Panel conflicts of interest
- ▪The advisory panel included at least seven doctors or pharmacists with financial ties to the peptide industry, such as owners of wellness clinics that sell peptides
- ▪Paul Knoepfler, a professor at UC Davis, questioned the acceptability of panel members who could gain from allowing BPC-157 for compounding
FDA scientists' safety concerns
- ▪FDA official Russell Wesdyk encouraged the industry to conduct trials in humans to evaluate the substances
- ▪Regulators noted a lack of adequate human clinical trials and raised concerns about contamination, allergic reactions, and quality control
- ▪FDA staff reviewers advised against allowing broader compounding for the seven peptides, citing scant evidence for their safety and effectiveness
Peptide industry support
- ▪Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has endorsed peptides and pushed to expand access
- ▪Shares of telehealth firm Hims & Hers, which spoke in favor of peptides at the meeting, rose 8% after the vote
- ▪Supporters promote BPC-157 for healing injuries, reducing inflammation, and improving gut health
Compounding pharmacy access
- ▪The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding urged the FDA to address safety concerns with targeted safeguards rather than outright restrictions
- ▪The panel was asked to decide if the peptides should be added to the FDA's 503A Bulks List, permitting state-licensed compounding pharmacies to prepare them for patients with prescriptions
Expected policy outcomes
- ▪The recommendations from the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee are not binding on the FDA
- ▪A formal easing of restrictions on peptides could bolster a market estimated to be worth $2 billion to $3 billion
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