12 min read

AS THE CURIOSITY around peptides grows, the FDA has considered removing a portion of the 19 synthetic peptides from the Category 2 Bulk Substances List. This is kind of a huge deal because when the FDA classifies a substance as Category 2 they believe that it carries significant safety risks. In July of this year, a panel will evaluate evidence for seven synthetic peptides, with another five under review in 2027.

Sritha Rajupet, MD, MPH , chair of the department of family, population, and preventive medicine at Stony Brook Medicine, has concerns. “Most of these peptides still lack high-quality human data on safety, effectiveness, and appropriate dosing,” Dr. Rajupet says. Meaning, despite chatter that the FDA may remove the Category 2 label, there’s still not a lot of research around if and how they work—along with any side effects.

Still, Dr.…