RFK Jr. wants Americans to use peptides that were banned over safety risks

Anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has long dismissed reams of data on lifesaving vaccines as being insufficient to prove safety—is pushing the Food and Drug Administration to lift restrictions on over a dozen injectable peptide treatments. The treatments have little to no efficacy data behind them and were previously banned by the FDA for posing significant safety risks. Kennedy is a self-proclaimed "big fan" of the risky treatments. Peptides, generally, are chains of amino acids linked together with peptide bonds, a link between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another. Bioactive peptides can have a range of cellular functions and influence various biochemical processes. Well-established, FDA-approved types of peptide drugs include GLP-1s for obesity and insulin for diabetes. But online, peptide drugs are now seemingly synonymous with unproven, non-FDA-approved treatment. They've grown extremely popular among wellness influencers, celebrities, and "biohackers," who claim without evidence that peptides can treat various diseases, reverse aging, and improve appearance. On February 27, Kennedy touted such unproven peptides as a guest on Joe Rogan's podcast, saying he had used them to treat injuries with "really good effect." He also vowed to end the FDA's "war on peptides" and revealed his plan to reverse the FDA's restrictions on many of them.Read full article Comments