The report says RFK Jr. suggests the FDA take another look at unproven peptides

None of the popular drugs are safe or effective, FDA scientists said.

The report says RFK Jr. It suggests that the FDA take another look at unproven peptides

None of the popular drugs are safe or effective, FDA scientists said.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, on March 27, 2026.

Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration has been rampant with plans to facilitate access to unproven peptide drugs that, among members of the Make America Healthy Again movement, are popular—despite FDA staff scientists finding that the drugs have not been adequately studied for safety and efficacy and may cause harm.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, did not respond to Ars Technica's request for comment.

The proposal comes as the FDA is currently reexamining dozens of popular but unproven injectable peptide drugs. In 2023, FDA scientists determined that the peptides lacked information on safety and efficacy and posed risks. As such, they were removed from the list of drugs that can be made by specialty pharmacies, called compounding pharmacies, which create custom formulations for drugs.

However, dulling drugs have become more popular, and sellers claim without evidence that they can improve appearance, boost energy, and help heal wounds, among other health claims. They are especially popular with the MAHA crowd. Many prominent MAHA figures sell peptide products, and Kennedy, a self-proclaimed "big fan" of peptides, has pledged to end the FDA's "war" on peptides after taking office.

In April, the FDA announced it would reconsider 12 unproven peptides. In June, Kennedy appointed nine new members to a 13-member FDA advisory panel reviewing peptides. Of the new members, at least six have ties to peptide-related businesses and clinics, raising significant concerns about conflicts of interest. At the July meeting, the panel voted to recommend adding six of the first seven peptides considered to the pharmacy compounding drug list. These recommendations were overruled by FDA staff scientists who believed the drugs still lacked data on safety and efficacy and carried risks.

Science-based advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is among those pushing back hard against Kennedy's efforts to support unproven peptides. The group sent a letter this week to Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, urging him to ignore the panel's recommendations.

"If this conflicting committee's recommendations stand, charlatans are putting consumers at serious risk by making unsubstantiated claims about the purported benefits of [peptides]," CSPI president and former FDA commissioner Pete Lowry said in a statement.

Beth is Ars Technica's senior health reporter. Beth holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He specializes in coverage of infectious diseases, public health and microbes.