Are peptides safe and legal? What the FDA ruling means in the US and UK

Updated 10 August 2026. Regulatory status current as of this date. Most approved peptide medicines are legal when prescribed appropriately. But wellness and lifestyle peptides such as BPC-157, TB-500 and MOTS-c remain unapproved and unproven; the FDA’s July 2026 advisory vote did not make them approved or immediately legal to compound. UK rules depend partly…

ByJon LipseyAugust 10, 20260Comments

enhanced games world record swim gkolomeev

BUSINESS

The Enhanced Games came to Vegas and hit the jackpot

Plenty of people have closed their eyes and had one a final throw of the dice in Vegas. Most of them walk away with nothing. Tonight, Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece is going home with $1.25m after breaking the Men’s 50m Freestyle record, clocking 20.81 in the final event of the night at the inaugural Enhanced…

ByJon LipseyMay 25, 20260Comments

HEALTH Investigation

What it feels like to be an Enhanced Games athlete

"If I wanted a doctor's opinion on whether or not people's health is at risk, I would go to a doctor. Not Kieren Perkins." It takes a lot to push James Magnussen, the three-time Olympic medallist and two-time world champion in the 100m freestyle, out of his naturally relaxed and jovial demeanour. But that’s what…

ByJon LipseyMay 24, 20260Comments

SPOTLIGHT Investigation

Inside the Enhanced Games: The untold story of the world’s most controversial sporting event

During a Zoom call on the 26th January 2024, Aron D'Souza, founder of the Enhanced Games, revealed something to me that he asked me to keep to myself. The Enhanced Games, which takes place in Las Vegas on Sunday, is the world's first sporting competition in which athletes are permitted to use performance-enhancing substances banned…

ByJon LipseyMay 20, 20260Comments

BUSINESS

Enhanced launches peptide platform to turn performance medicine into a consumer product business

Enhanced, the company behind the Enhanced Games, has launched an online personalised performance medicine and supplement platform and said it plans to expand further into peptides. The initial rollout includes proprietary supplement blends, hormone replacement therapy for men and women, and other longevity-focused protocols. That matters because this is not just a product extension. It…

ByJon LipseyMarch 24, 20260Comments

HEALTH Explainer

Peptide Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and is it Safe or Legal?

Peptide therapy has become a buzzword in high-performance health, with claims ranging from faster recovery and better sleep to improved fat loss, hormonal balance, and even longer lifespan. But while its popularity is growing among athletes, biohackers, and anti-aging enthusiasts, there’s still a lot of confusion around what peptide therapy actually is — and whether…

ByJon LipseyJanuary 17, 20260Comments

HEALTH Explainer

Thymosin Alpha-1: Can This Peptide Fight Inflammation, Infection and Fatigue?

Thymosin Alpha-1 isn’t new. It’s not being whispered about in underground forums or passed around in black-labelled bottles. In fact, this peptide has been used in clinical settings for more than three decades — particularly in countries like China — as a treatment for chronic viral infections and immune dysfunction. But in recent years, it’s…

ByJon LipseyJanuary 3, 20260Comments

cjc-1295 growth hormone peptide benefits

HEALTH

Should you take the CJC-1295 growth hormone peptide?

Dr Neil Paulvin has a polite way of talking about the elephant in the room. One minute he’s breaking down growth hormone peptides like CJC-1295 - what they’re used for, how they stack up against Tesamorelin, and why they don’t always move the needle on your lab work. The next, he’s explaining how podcast superstar…

ByUnfilteredDecember 2, 20250Comments

HEALTH

The Wild West of peptides: what BPC-157 can and can’t do

There are very few compounds that can make a functional medicine doctor sound like a bouncer, but BPC-157 manages it. “It’s become a bit like the Wild West,” says Dr Neil Paulvin, a Manhattan-based physician who specialises in functional and regenerative medicine. He’s talking about peptides, and specifically the one that’s gone from underground bodybuilding…

ByUnfilteredDecember 2, 20250Comments

HEALTH Explainer

What is TB-500? The recovery peptide with a cult following

If you’re the kind of person who reads about peptides, you’ve probably heard of TB-500. You may even have a vague idea that it helps with recovery or muscle repair. What you may not know is just how widely it's used or how flexible it is. “TB-500 maybe gets a little less attention than BPC-157,”…

ByJon LipseyApril 7, 20250Comments

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