Medicines watchdog to investigate UK peptide clinics over health claims | Health

The medicines regulator is investigating whether clinics in the UK broke the law by making claims about the benefits of unregulated experimental peptide treatments, the Guardian has revealed.

In recent years, interest in experimental peptides has increased. The substances are delivered via injection and are touted by dealers, influencers, and even some medics to help with everything from anti-aging to healing injuries.

There is little scientific evidence to support such health and wellness claims in humans. Where studies have been done, most of these are in animals or cells.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said clinics are not allowed to make medical claims for peptide treatments offered by their services.

An MHRA spokesman said: “If clinics offering peptide injections make medical claims for these treatments, the products will be considered medicines and subject to regulation under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

“The MHRA will take action against clinics found to be in breach of regulatory requirements.”

However, an investigation by the Guardian found that a number of clinics operating in the UK were offering a variety of unregulated, experimental peptides and making many claims about their benefits on their websites.

The website for one of the top Google search results for peptide clinics in the UK states that Cortexin is “used for neuroprotection and cognitive enhancement,” BPC-157 “helps with tissue repair and recovery from injuries,” and Thymosin Alpha “strengthens immune function.”

The MHRA has confirmed that such websites make medical claims for the peptide treatments offered and this is not permitted. After the Guardian contacted the clinic for comment, it deleted the allegations from its website.

Another of the clinics featured in Google search results says on its website that the peptides lack large clinical trials and emphasizes that human evidence is limited, but it advertises seven named peptides and gives a “time to results” and price for each, although they label them as “research only.”

The clinic said the peptides cost £350 a month for a single peptide and £450 a month for two peptides, and the therapy is delivered in a vial containing a disposable syringe or in pre-loaded injection pens for an extra fee.

When a Guardian reporter contacted the clinic free of charge, they were told that most research on peptides was pre-clinical and that some peptides were still experimental.

The clinician also said there are no randomized, multicenter clinical trials that would provide information about the long-term effects of peptides. They said the clinic recommends taking a break from peptide use for four to eight weeks between periods of two to three months to reduce risks.

But the clinician suggested the reporter might consider taking two peptides to aid recovery after exercise and fatigue.

The first, BPC-157, is one of the more widely used peptides, they said.

“It helps cells repair and heal. So if someone comes to us and says I want to get fitter, lift heavier, be more muscular, I would still recommend BPC-157, even though it doesn’t directly affect any of those things. Because it helps you recover after those workouts,” the clinician said.

“This helps provide more blood flow and nutrients to the different tissues that need repair… [and] It ensures faster recovery after your physical activity.

The clinician said BPC-157 is not recommended for people who smoke or have a family history of cancer because there are concerns that the peptide may increase blood flow to such tissues and help exacerbate cancer.

The second peptide suggested to reporters was MOTS-C.

The clinician said: “MOTS-C is something that helps provide more stress resistance and better health to your mitochondria so they can produce more energy cells… so the direct net effect for you will be reduced insulin resistance, better energy production. [the energy molecule] ATP and its net result is basically reducing visceral fat.

The MHRA said it was investigating whether the clinician’s claims were medical.

The clinic said it “clearly clarified that the peptides discussed are not licensed medicines and that the current evidence base is largely preclinical, with no large-scale randomized controlled trials assessing long-term outcomes.”

He said the consultations encouraged “shared decision-making in which individuals are given balanced information about potential mechanisms, theoretical benefits and uncertainties.”

A spokesperson said it was “important to acknowledge the current reality”: a significant number of people in the UK are already accessing peptide products through unregulated channels (including unofficial online networks such as messaging platforms) with little or no clinical oversight, quality assurance or safety screening.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids. Some occur naturally in the body and have specific functions; for example, the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

But in recent years there has been an explosion of interest in using peptides for therapeutic purposes, from weight loss to anti-aging and injury recovery.

These include approved prescription weight-loss medications based on synthetic peptides that mimic natural hormones, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, found in weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, respectively. However, many other peptides on the market have not undergone the stringent regulatory processes that those used in pharmaceuticals are subject to and remain experimental.

The MHRA says the medicinal product includes “any substance or combination of substances that is represented as having properties to prevent or treat disease in humans.” Illness includes “any injury, ailment, or adverse condition, whether physical or mental.”

A medicinal product can also be “any substance or combination of substances that can be used by or administered to humans for the purpose of restoring, correcting or modifying a physiological function by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic effect, or to make a medical diagnosis.”

Lynda Scammell, head of border products at the MHRA, said: “Peptide products can be sold as cosmetics, supplements and medicines and fall under different regulatory frameworks depending on their intended use.

“The MHRA determines whether a product is a medicine on a case-by-case basis. This involves considering a number of factors, such as the effect of the product on the body, the way it is used, and takes into account all available evidence and relevant legal precedent.

“We do not consider claims that products are for ‘investigational use’ if it is clear that such claims are used as an attempt to evade medicines regulations. If there is evidence in promotional material that the products are in fact unauthorized drugs for human use, we will take appropriate regulatory action.”