‘Serious risk’: Therapeutic Goods Administration cracks down on unregulated peptides

Unapproved peptides, often marketed to enhance performance or delay aging, have become a new priority focus for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), alongside products such as e-cigarettes and sunscreens.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that, when combined, form proteins in our bodies.

Some – like many GLP-1s – are legal, but others are increasingly used for beauty, fitness and anti-aging reasons.

The regulator said detection of illegal imports, supplies and advertising was increasing, all of which posed a potential security risk.

TGA chairman Anthony Lawler said the regulator’s compliance priorities were determined through intelligence and market monitoring.

“As the availability of unapproved peptide products increases, so does evidence of potential risks to consumers,” he said.

The TGA said many peptide products supplied in Australia were unapproved therapeutic products, meaning they were not included on the Australian Therapeutic Goods Register and had not been evaluated for safety, quality or effectiveness.

“Australians should be very careful about purchasing unapproved peptide products online, particularly from overseas websites or through online platforms or social media,” Professor Lawler said.

“If you don’t know exactly what’s in the bottle, where it’s made, or whether it’s sterile, you could be putting your health at serious risk.”

Organizations involved in the illegal import, manufacture, advertising and supply of peptide products may face fines, product seizures, import interventions and possibly even criminal sanctions.

Peptide products, performance and image enhancing drugs and illegal steroids with an estimated street value of more than $2 million were seized as part of a recent joint operation with the Australian Border Force and Victoria Police.