Correction (Oct 2, 2026): An earlier version of this post said the FDA had eased restrictions on 12 peptides and later added six more. That was inaccurate. We've updated the post to describe what the FDA did in April and what an FDA advisory committee recommended in July. We also revised statements about labs and how our services work.
This week on X, I watched peptides get pitched like a token launch. There was a “next 20 years of returns” investment thesis, a joke that Bezos should pivot to selling peptides online, and one guy who was genuinely thrilled about the “research use only” vial he found online.
I’m the founder of The Vitality Collective, a telehealth company that works with independent licensed clinicians, and peptide therapy is one of our services. I’m a believer in this category. And that’s exactly why I’m going to be the least fun person at this party.
The real story is strong enough without the hype
If you’ve been around startups, you know the pattern. There’s real science underneath, then an influencer layer, then an investor layer, and eventually a gray market selling to people who got in because everyone else was getting in.
Peptides are in that cycle right now. The difference is that the underlying story here doesn’t need exaggeration.
Regulators are paying attention
In April, the FDA took 12 peptides off a list it uses to flag safety concerns. That wasn’t a finding that they’re safe: it happened because the groups that had nominated them withdrew their nominations, and the FDA still lists safety concerns for each one. In July, an FDA advisory committee voted to recommend six of those same peptides for wider use, but its votes are only advice, and the FDA’s own reviewers had recommended against them. As of today, no final FDA rule has changed their status.
What the category needs now is rigorous human research, the kind that turns a buzzy category into a lasting one, and that takes time.
Peptides are going mainstream. Which is precisely why cutting corners makes no sense.
When your health strategy has the same risk profile as a memecoin, it’s time to diversify.
Here’s the thing founders already know: when a market gets hot, the quality of your diligence matters more, not less. So before you put anything in your body, run the same checklist you’d run before writing a check.
1. Who’s the counterparty?
Is a licensed clinician evaluating you, or is someone just selling you a vial? Those are very different transactions.
2. What’s the supply chain?
Is it dispensed through a licensed pharmacy, or is it labeled “research use only” on a website with a countdown timer? If you wouldn’t accept that sourcing for your company’s product, don’t accept it for yourself.
3. What’s the baseline?
Has anyone looked at your health history, and are labs recommended before anyone suggests anything? You wouldn’t invest without looking at the financials.
4. What’s the thesis?
What specific problem are you trying to solve, and how will you know whether the plan is working? “My group chat is doing it” is not a thesis.
5. Who’s monitoring the position?
Who’s following up, adjusting the plan, or calling it off? Every good investment has someone watching it.
6. What’s the exit?
Is “no” or “not yet” an acceptable answer? It should be. Anyone who can only say yes is selling, not advising.
The best way to be pro-peptide is to do it properly
I’m optimistic about where this category is heading. But being pro-peptide doesn’t mean being pro-anything-with-a-label. It means asking any provider, us included, the hard questions: who’s making the call, whether labs are recommended for you, which pharmacy fills it, and what follow-up looks like.
That also means accepting that sometimes the right answer is “not for you” or “not yet.” Honestly, the most underrated performance protocol is someone qualified telling you to wait.
Start with due diligence, not a group chat
If you’re curious about peptides, or TRT, or HRT, or you just want to know why you feel like 60% of yourself lately, start by asking good questions.
If you’re considering peptides, start with a licensed clinician, and labs are usually a smart first step. Individual results vary. At The Vitality Collective, services are available nationwide.
If you want to talk it through, request a private call here: https://book.thevitalitycollective.co/book
And I’m curious: what’s the worst health “alpha” you’ve been pitched this year?
Educational only, not medical advice. I’m the founder of The Vitality Collective, not a clinician. Talk with a licensed clinician before starting any treatment. Some medications a clinician may prescribe are not FDA-approved. Individual results vary. Available nationwide.