The Peptide Episode — Public Health On Call

About this episode:

In June, the FDA convened an advisory committee to discuss whether seven selected peptides should be permitted for legal sale under pharmacy compounding laws despite little research into safety and efficacy. Agency scientists oppose the decision while some committee members with ties to the growing industry support it. In this episode: Dr. Josh Sharfstein, who previously served as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, explains what is happening and what it may mean for consumers and patients.

Note: That this episode was updated on August 5, 2026.

Guest:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

FDA committee votes to make peptides more widely available—Science
July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee—FDA
Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides?—The New Yorker
Peptide boom has states scrambling to protect consumers, Post investigation finds—Washington Post
How to Spot Unregulated Pharmacies and Falsified Medications—Public Health On Call (August 2025)

Transcript information:

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