FDA Advisory Committee Schedules July 2026 Review of Compounding Pharmacies' Peptide Production

An FDA advisory committee is set to consider in July 2026 whether compounding pharmacies should be authorized to produce certain injectable peptides, Science News reported. The FDA under the former Biden administration had directed compounding pharmacies to stop making certain peptides due to safety concerns, including the possibility of immune reactions.

Compounding pharmacies make drugs that are not commercially available or are in short supply.

In March 2026, the FDA held a public meeting to discuss the scope of ingredients allowed in oral dietary supplements. At that meeting, peptide proponents advocated for the inclusion of peptides in oral dietary supplements. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas said at the March 2026 meeting that the administration’s goals include cutting out red tape.

Dietary supplements can include ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs that can be sold on promises to support general health and wellness as long as they don’t claim to treat specific conditions. Supplements do not have to go through rigorous studies to prove safety and efficacy before hitting store shelves.

Peptide therapies are promoted for treating ailments including joint pain, brain fog, and insomnia.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Many peptide products have hardly been studied in people. Some people buy peptides from online retailers or overseas suppliers and inject them at home.

Some doctors write prescriptions that allow people to buy certain peptides from compounding pharmacies. Many people purchase peptides unprescribed from direct-to-consumer websites or overseas factories. Some peptides purchased from direct-to-consumer websites or overseas factories are technically intended for research not human consumption.

Mitch Zeller left the FDA in 2022. Mitch Zeller worked on supplement issues at the FDA in the 1990s. Peptides are shorter chains of amino acids compared to proteins, said John Fetse, a peptide therapeutics researcher.

The hormones insulin and oxytocin are peptides. Peptides also show up in toxic animal venom. Synthetic peptides can mimic those the body makes naturally but with tweaks to make the compound more druglike, said Eileen Kennedy, a chemical biologist.

Some synthetic peptides are FDA-approved. The P in GLP-1 stands for peptide. GLP-1 is a category of diabetes and weight-loss drugs that includes Ozempic. BPC-157 and TB-500 show promising effects in animal studies but have not been rigorously studied in humans.

BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide derived from gastric juices found in the stomach. BPC-157 has been shown to accelerate healing from tendon injuries and wounds in rats. Human research on BPC-157 has largely been limited to small case reports or pilot studies.

A small human clinical trial on BPC-157 was initiated in 2015 but canceled before results were reviewed and published. BPC-157 is on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. S. Anti-Doping Agency states that BPC-157 may lead to negative health effects.

Eileen Kennedy said a peptide naturally found in the stomach might set off a different reaction when injected into the knee to help heal a sports injury. Oral collagen peptide supplements are commonly marketed to support skin, bone, muscle, and joint health. A 2025 meta-analysis found that collagen peptide supplementation may improve bone mineral density and muscle function.

Collagen is found in meat and fish. BPC-157 is not a dietary ingredient, is an unapproved drug, and cannot be legally prescribed or sold over the counter, according to Operation Supplement Safety. Operation Supplement Safety is a Department of Defense educational project.

Ingredients such as microbials were discussed at the March 2026 FDA meeting. John Fetse said that when peptides are swallowed, enzymes in the stomach typically make quick work of digesting them, and if you swallow it in a supplement, you would probably see no therapeutic benefit at all.

An HHS spokesperson did not respond to questions and directed Science News to links about the upcoming July 2026 meeting related to compounding pharmacies.