Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on peptides, in his own words

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2025. HHS oversees FDA, and any addition to the 503A list is made by regulation in the Secretary's name. His public comments on peptides are therefore read closely by pharmacists, clinics, FDA staff and critics. This page collects them. We quote only words reported verbatim by a named outlet or document. Where a source paraphrases, we say so.

The statements

On Rogan, Kennedy also said he expected FDA to change the status of about 14 peptides within a couple of weeks, according to Orrick's account of the interview; the firm quoted the phrases "within a couple of weeks" and "ethical suppliers". FDA's action came on 15 April 2026 and covered 12 peptides. In his Energy and Commerce testimony, as summarised by the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, Kennedy said the administration had moved 14 peptides off Category 2 and described their original placement as a mistake. That summary does not give the hearing date, so we do not assign one.

What the Secretary's role actually is

FDA's committee votes are advice. A substance joins the 503A list only by a final rule, issued under authority the statute gives "the Secretary". Lawyers advising pharmacies after the July 2026 vote noted that Kennedy would have to approve the additions. He did not, as far as we could find, issue a public statement on the July committee result itself. His department's spokesperson, Emily Hilliard, defended the committee's composition: "All committee members underwent the same ethics review and vetting process."

Responses: supportive

Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a pharmacist, had written to Kennedy on 10 November 2025 urging FDA to reevaluate six peptides "through an improved Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) process that prioritizes safety and quality over evidence of clinical efficacy", and to use enforcement discretion in the meantime. Pat Carroll, chief executive of Hims and Hers, said in April 2026: "The FDA's plans to more clearly define the regulatory status of several peptides is an important step" (BioPharma Dive). Scott Brunner of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding cautioned that the meeting would start a "protracted process" (Associated Press).

Responses: critical

Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA associate commissioner who leads the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told AP: "The Wild West is about to become wilder" and "Everybody knows the outcome that the secretary wants." Dr. Eric Topol of Scripps Research: "I think this is a disaster in the works" and "These peptides have no data to support their safety and efficacy." Dr. Robert Steinbrook of Public Citizen said in a statement on 15 April 2026 that "the FDA is bowing to the wishes of RFK Jr. and his acolytes" and that "The FDA's credibility and the health of the public are at stake."

FDA staff on the same question

FDA's career reviewers recommended against all seven peptides presented in July 2026. For BPC-157, the most discussed, they concluded there was "insufficient evidence to make a conclusion on the effectiveness" for ulcerative colitis and a "lack of information on the safety profile and immunogenicity risks". The committee page has their conclusions for each substance.

Reading the record

Three threads run through Kennedy's statements: that FDA has restricted peptides too much, that the current gray market is the larger danger, and that pharmacies should be the supply. He has also said, in the Brecka interview, that more access will bring "people who have bad results". Supporters and critics agree on one point: the people now buying "research" peptides online are getting products of unknown quality. They disagree on whether compounding fixes that. FDA's own enforcement record against online sellers continued through 2026. For the commissioner's side, see Makary and his successors; for the sequence of events, the timeline.

Rules change faster than most people's records. If you are on a prescribed peptide, the dose log keeps each dose with the product, the pharmacy and the concentration, and bloodwork sits on the same timeline, so a change of product or source is easier to plan with your prescriber. The peptide library grades how much research exists behind each compound, and that grading does not move when a committee votes. The app is on iOS and Android.