Begin with the exact name
Have you been given a medicine’s name, or only the phrase “peptide therapy”? Ask for its written name and whether the offer concerns an injection, a tablet or another form.
Peptide describes a chain made from amino acids—the pieces that form proteins.
US rules checked on September 26, 2026 do not treat everything called “peptide therapy” alike. To check whether supplying it is legal, you need to know the exact product and how it reaches the patient.
Which description fits the medicine in front of you?
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is an example of a peptide with FDA-approved medicines, as of September 26, 2026.
The abbreviation FDA refers here to the US Food and Drug Administration. Ask which exact product and use a claim refers to.
With compounding, a doctor or pharmacist prepares or changes a drug to meet a particular need.
Compounded medicines reach the market without an FDA check of their quality, benefits or harms. As of September 26, 2026, these medicines had no FDA approval.
Compounding is sometimes legal, and it may serve a medical need that the available approved medicines cannot meet.
- An approved medicineWhich product and which use?
- A compounded preparationWhat need calls for a change?
- A research labelWhy is this being offered as care?
Ask why a research product is being offered as treatment
In letters issued in 2026, FDA alleged that products advertised for human use were unapproved drugs despite labels reserving them for research.
Those letters set out enforcement allegations against particular firms, not court judgments.
A useful question is: “Which actual medicine are we talking about, and what supports using it for my concern?”
Open the evidence behind these distinctions
The consumer compounding pages explain why a compounded product and an approved product need different questions.
- FDA — compounding questions
- FDA — problems to understand with compounded drugs
- FDA — semaglutide (Wegovy) product label