12 min read AS THE CURIOSITY around peptides grows, the FDA has considered removing a portion of the 19 synthetic peptides from the Category 2 Bulk Substances List. This is kind of a huge deal because when the FDA classifies a substance as Category 2 they believe that it carries significant safety risks. In July of this year, a panel will evaluate evidence for seven synthetic peptides, with another five under review in 2027. Sritha Rajupet, MD, MPH , chair of the department of family, population, and preventive medicine at Stony Brook Medicine, has concerns. “Most of these peptides still lack high-quality human data on safety, effectiveness, and appropriate dosing,” Dr. Rajupet says. Meaning, despite chatter that the FDA may remove the Category 2 label, there’s still not a lot of research around if and how they work—along with any side effects. Still, Dr. Rajupet acknowledges that people are interested in synthetic peptides—and many are already obtaining them through unregulated channels.…