health
Medicines watchdog to investigate UK peptide clinics over health claims
Exclusive: Guardian investigation finds several clinics making potentially unlawful claims about benefits of unregulated therapies
TL;DR
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is investigating UK clinics for potentially illegal health claims regarding experimental peptide therapies.
- Interest in these unregulated peptides has surged, with claims of benefits for anti-ageing, injury recovery, and cognitive enhancement, despite limited scientific evidence in humans.
- The MHRA considers peptide treatments making medicinal claims to be regulated medicines and will act against clinics in breach of legal requirements.
- A Guardian investigation uncovered clinics making explicit claims about peptide benefits on their websites, which the MHRA confirmed as prohibited medicinal claims.
- Some clinics, despite noting the lack of large clinical trials, advertise peptides for specific durations and prices, labelling them 'research only'.
- The MHRA can disregard 'research purposes' claims if evidence suggests an attempt to avoid regulation, and will take action against unauthorized medicines intended for human use.
- Peptides are short amino acid chains; while some are naturally occurring hormones like insulin, many on the market are experimental and have not undergone strict regulatory approval.