The regulatory boundary around research peptides

United States: what FDA says

FDA says unapproved GLP-1 products do not undergo its premarket review for safety, effectiveness and quality. Compounded drugs are not FDA approved. Its current guidance specifically states that retatrutide and cagrilintide cannot be used in compounding under federal law. These statements concern US regulation; they are not a summary of every jurisdiction.

Australia: product status and promotion

TGA says many peptide products promoted online are unapproved therapeutic goods. Its guidance states that unapproved peptide products cannot be imported or supplied without an applicable exemption, approval or authority. It also says public advertising of unapproved therapeutic goods and prescription-only medicines is generally unlawful. A personal importation pathway does not permit commercial supply or public advertising.

A label is not an exemption

TGA warns that a research-use disclaimer alone does not change regulatory status or remove importation, supply and advertising obligations.

Our editorial policy

Publication policy

We cover the science and regulatory record. We do not publish human-use protocols. Regulatory summaries are dated and jurisdiction-labelled, and are not individual legal advice.