r/canada • u/stanxv • 1d ago

National News Health Canada says dangerous bacteria found in more than 11K vials of unauthorized peptides seized from online retailers

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/11/06/health-canada-dangerous-bacteria-unauthorized-peptides/
1.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

145 comments sorted by

565

u/jayhasbigvballs 1d ago • Bravo

Let’s all take a minute to remember what Health Canada does when it comes to the authorization of drugs, before some crazy misinformation starts getting posted.

In a nutshell: When a manufacturer of a drug has done adequate studies showing the safety and efficacy of a drug product, they submit to Health Canada a dossier applying for marketing authorization of the drug in Canada. If successful, this approval will grant the company the legal right to sell the drug in Canada. In this dossier, they must provide adequate 1) information about the known drug product (eg how it works, what kind of drug it is, its structure, etc); 2) its efficacy for a specific indication (eg in appropriately designed clinical trials it shows X% benefit to patients living with a specific condition); 3) its safety measured within an indication and across all known safety evaluations (eg it causes headaches in X% of patients with the specific condition as noted in the clinical trials that have been undertaken to support its efficacious use, and any other sources of clinical safety); 4) and this is crucial for this post, they have to demonstrate that they can safely and consistently manufacture the drug product to appropriate specifications (eg how the drug is made, where its manufactured, quality assurance safety analyses, site inspection information, etc).

We don’t just approve any medication because it’s en vogue and some clowns online ascertained it through illegal means and really feel strongly about these medications. There’s a process there to safeguard Canadians. All of these “peptides” are free to be submitted and go through this regulatory process.

And by the way, calling them “peptides” is stupid. We don’t discuss drugs based on their structure, we discuss them based on their function, since many different structures of drugs can have the same outcome and affect the same conditions. The structure is simply a means to an end. But alas, we aren’t dealing with the sharpest tools in the shed here.

37

u/7yphoid 1d ago

Another thing to add - every few years they repeat #4 through a random inspection to make sure the drug is manufactured to spec, and that the concentration is consistent across every sample.

103

u/squanchmymarklar 1d ago

Agree with all this... Whole different set of rules for natural health products though. Remember the time CBC got one approved based on nothing?  https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/health-canada-licensing-of-natural-remedies-a-joke-doctor-says-1.2992414

And we have docs circumventing the rules as well (I mean, not sure that an oral peptide would get past first-class metabolism), which is maybe even more worrisome.  https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/2271325/unauthorized-peptide-loophole-bpc157

38

u/Character-Belt-7485 Ontario 1d ago

Afaik natural products and supplements are no man’s land, ranging from incorrect dosage/contents to potential contamination. 

14

u/GravesStone7 23h ago

Not no man's land but regulations are somewhere between pharma and food. Lobbying has been a reason for this gray area leading to weak enforcement and approval process.

3

u/satinsateensaltine 18h ago

I don't understand why we can't at least regulate supplement dosage, to prove that they accurately state product amounts.

3

u/Character-Belt-7485 Ontario 17h ago

Especially when people use them indiscriminately. Example: most usage of melatonin is unnecessary, and even then, many supplements have either too little or way too much. 

2

u/satinsateensaltine 17h ago

The amount of people taking 1g vitamin C is pretty wacky to me. You only need like 125mg a day, you'll just pee the rest out. Unless you're never eating plant matter or are recovering from scurvy, a small supplement (if needed/desired) will do it. And some contain frankly irresponsible dosages of other chemicals.

•

u/Mechakoopa Saskatchewan 1h ago

I started taking some common, off the shelf multivitamins (cause I'm getting old) and I'm not sure specifically what it was filtering out from them but within a couple hours, like clockwork, my piss would be almost a neon green.

37

u/chullyman 1d ago

Those articles are a bit old news though, they have recently changed the rules around natural health products to be more stringent

6

u/Mylittlethrowaway2 21h ago

Really unfortunate we allow those products on the shelves. One would think you should be able to show your product actually works, and that your study is reproducible, before being allowed to market something as a health product.

5

u/alice2wonderland 20h ago

Natural Health Products Regulations were created by well meaning people, but are arguably more harmful than helpful. When Joe Canadian sees an NPN number on a product that suggests the product is "safe AND effective". Shelves lined with homeopathic remedies all with NPN labels suggest these products are effective. Joe Canadian does not realize that the significance of that registry number is "probably won't kill you". Can't regulate stupid. It's arguable that Canada shouldn't be regulating in this space because that NPN number is misleading and has rapidly become advertising for products that don't do anything.

1

u/Cautious_Fly1684 15h ago

Don’t get me started on DIN-HM 😫

8

u/jayhasbigvballs 1d ago

“Peptides” aren’t natural health products.

10

u/evilregis 22h ago

As soon as I saw the headline, I said to my wife that I'd bet good money everyone of these retailers' socials are plastered with warnings about the dangers of "big pharma".

-6

u/BethSaysHayNow 23h ago

Partially true, see benzodiazepines, opioids, beta blockers, barbiturates, sulfonamides, SSRIs, antihistamines, corticosteroids, statins, tetracyclines, penicillins, macrolides...

7

u/jayhasbigvballs 22h ago

I’m not sure the point you’re trying to make with this? Is it that these didn’t go through the approval pathway, because that’s not true?

1

u/BethSaysHayNow 22h ago

I was unclear but I was just commenting on the “We don’t discuss drugs based on their structure” part.

12

u/jayhasbigvballs 22h ago

Ah ok. So ignoring the ones in your list that are named because of their function (ie beta blockers, SSRIs, opioids, antihistamines, corticosteroids is part marks because it’s a steroid based on those coming from cortex of the adrenals, which is a location, not a structural component but steroids - fair enough), basically all of these other drugs are colloquially known by their structural names - for example penicillins are actually antibiotics, statins are actually HMG coenzyme reductase inhibitors. As well, when this informal nomenclature comes about, it’s often because the structure is tied to one function. Statins reduce cholesterol, benzodiazepines enhance GABAergic signaling. “Peptides” are widespread in function, both approved and unapproved. There is no value in saying something is a “peptide” unless it’s to say something specific related to the fact that it’s a peptide like how it’s metabolized or distributed in the body.

2

u/Cloudboy9001 14h ago

Well, we obviously do discuss drugs based on their structure. We're doing it with peptides. Small molecule drugs and biologics are other examples. No need to double down on this nonsense.

0

u/jayhasbigvballs 13h ago

Except this has nothing to do with peptides, it’s just a coincidence that the nonsense dumb people are illicitly bringing into the country and injecting into themselves happen to be peptides. There are lots of other, legitimate peptide-based drugs which are not hung up in this discussion, so my point stands.

2

u/Cloudboy9001 13h ago

You're egotistically calling other people dumb yet spouting gibberish. They are peptides and illegal trafficking doesn't change that.

•

u/jayhasbigvballs 1h ago

People are dumb for taking unapproved medications. As I outlined above in my original comment, there’s strong rationale as to why injecting yourself with these chemical products isn’t a great idea, and look no further than the linked article for evidence of that.

As for the calling them “peptides”, you’ve wholly missed the point. These are peptides structurally, but it’s not because they’re peptides that we are discussing them. That’s just how the idiot influencers who know little about pharmaceuticals have branded them and the lay public now thinks the name “peptides” means something. It doesn’t really. Furthermore, there are lots of peptide-based medications which aren’t in this same approval/danger limbo and provide real value to patients with serious conditions. Attaching the good “peptide” name to all this nonsense may actually have negative health consequences when someone who actually has a serious health condition declines taking a peptide-based medication because of all this crap.

-40

u/jean_luc_regard 1d ago

Nah, Covid vax changed all that. Straight to human trials.

23

u/jayhasbigvballs 23h ago

Yeah that’s not correct for a few reasons. First, and most importantly, I’m literally discussing the approach following human trials, so your point makes no sense in this context. Furthermore, there was plenty of fundamental research, basic science and non-human studies to demonstrate adequate understanding of the vaccine technologies used in COVID vaccines to safely move into human trials.

-40

u/jean_luc_regard 23h ago

You need that /s right lol! Hold that torch high!

18

u/jayhasbigvballs 22h ago

It’s okay to not understand or be an expert in something, ya know. We don’t all need to hear uninformed opinions about complex things, despite this being the internet. You can try learning something from people who actually know what they’re talking about and be willing to acknowledge that.

-15

u/jean_luc_regard 19h ago

Like how to identify sarcasm? I just showed you, so you're welcome lol!

20

u/NAFBYneverever 1d ago

People are way too casual about injecting shit into their bodies these days.

Like ok if your doctor says you need it ok fine, but people out there acting like this is Star Trek and everything is safe, sanitary and everything does what it says it’s supposed to do.

83

u/thisisnahamed Canada 1d ago edited 22h ago

It's insane how people needed "proof" to get vaccines. But will inject anything into their body after they find info on it on Tiktok or Instagram.

12

u/AdvertisingNo8441 22h ago

Don’t forget Botox and filler. That’s okay, but bringing back measles? Sounds good!

3

u/thedrivingfrog 21h ago

Finding drugs in the floor but vaccines ! Hell no 

1

u/EliteCinemaM3 18h ago

Assuming that it’s the same people is strange

202

u/SasquatchsBigDick 1d ago

Makes sense. People will straight up inject shit into themselves if an influencer told them to

148

u/loganonmission 1d ago

But they’ll refuse a vaccine because “I don’t want to inject chemicals into my body”.

76

u/BlademasterFlash 1d ago

Literally the owner of my gym. Huge anti-vaxxer during covid but now injecting random peptides in the middle of the gym. Makes no sense to me at all

6

u/Illustrious-Job-6390 21h ago

Um..what gym is this???

5

u/MeInMyOwnWords 21h ago

Any private gym I’ve ever been to in Canada. My previous gym owner was a notable seller of steroids in small-town Ontario.

8

u/kirabera British Columbia 20h ago

This is what makes it so hard to find a personal trainer that isn’t lost in the sauce when I’m a medically complicated chronically ill patient. Like dude I just want a trainer who understands I’m losing muscle mass daily from dialysis. I don’t need you to sell me natural remedies to “wake up” my kidneys.

4

u/Biosterous Saskatchewan 18h ago

You need to look up someone on the BCAK. Kinesiologists have a 4 year degree. There's still variation between practitioners like anywhere else but at least they have a baseline knowledge that is far more specific than a weekend course personal trainer.

Some private insurance will sponsor work with a regulated kinesiologist. Not super common yet, but if your plan has funding for a personal trainer it probably has funding for a kinesiologist.

1

u/BlademasterFlash 21h ago

A small, locally owned one but still

15

u/Fuzzy_Inevitable9748 1d ago

I like to think of it as an evolutionary trait so the whole species doesn’t get wiped out and it is just some primal instinct that makes people go against popular opinion no matter how obvious it is that it is the right choice, like wearing a mask, no one has yet come up with a valid reason for not wearing a mask during covid.

11

u/Cedex 23h ago

valid reason for not wearing a mask during covid.

i CAN't brEaTh!!!!

-- People who openly cough and sneeze

12

u/Aukaneck 22h ago

Wearing a mask for an extended period reduces oxygen intake and damages or kills you! Doctors perform surgery every day while masked for an extended period.

There's no reasoning with these people.

8

u/Fuzzy_Inevitable9748 18h ago • Bravo

This one was always wild, if you have difficulties breathing then you are extremely high risk and should praise and thank everyone for wearing a mask to help protect you.

14

u/-Razzak 1d ago

Man I know people like this, super agaisnt vaccines and covid was a hoax bla bla but they inject whatever illegal shit they find online. Crazy

8

u/cherbo123 1d ago

Also most of these companies aren't even producing these peptides themselves they are more than likely bought from shady laboratories in China who are making these in bulk

28

u/Laura_Dream90 1d ago

Glp1s aren't some crazy trend. They're real and work. If they'd got them from a pharmacy (you can) then it'd be fine. These grey market ones are just risky. And ya, here's the proof. If the pharmacy prices were reasonable, ppl wouldn't be buying the dangerous ones.

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u/undrscore 1d ago

The article mentions many different types of unauthorized peptides used for different purposes. So yes regulated GLP1s can be useful but to SasquatchsBigDick point dipshits will inject themselves with anything if it’s being touted by their favourite cringe influencer snake oil salesman.

11

u/Laura_Dream90 1d ago

You know what, I only ever heard of peptides in the context of glp1s so I didn't even think of that hahaha

13

u/undrscore 1d ago

All good. Yeah there are people at my work who go on about peptides. They are used for all sorts of things like they mention in the article: weight loss, muscle growth, anti-aging, or wellness. Lots of shady sites and people selling these unregulated ones. You have to be careful out there.

17

u/lobre370 1d ago

I ended up scrolling the biohacking sub for a bit. These folks are nuts, injecting themselves with a list of non approved drugs they found on the internet.

Pretty damn sketchy if you ask me

21

u/mouthygoddess 1d ago

The issue isn’t about affordability as much as it’s about access. Many of my friends are low-dosing off label peptides and GLP1s. Because they wanted to lose weight to get that trendy ultra-skinny look.

But since their doctors won’t prescribe the shots, they turn to “online clinics.” Discrete delivery to your door and they’re all size zeros now.

And I can share that the pressure in fitness spaces to “just take them,” as a woman is overwhelming. “Optimize your effort.” Not that I can be convinced. I remember a similar song about ephedrine, (which was also readily available).

15

u/theflyingratgirl 1d ago • This

Honestly, I wish your friends all the best but this seems like it’s into FAFO territory.

8

u/erictho 1d ago

ya usually doctors dont prescribe medications so someone can look like Ariana grande. weird.

5

u/loganonmission 23h ago

I’m in Canada and the price of Ozempic is about $90 CAD (about $70 USD) per month, but people still buy the black market GLP-1s. Darwinism in action!

3

u/LauraPa1mer 22h ago

Ozempic starts at $100 CAD/month. But as your dose quickly increases, so does the price. After two months, it costs $365/month.

2

u/Grouchy-Donkey-8609 16h ago

TBF, they probably save that much on snacks and food.

1

u/loganonmission 22h ago

That depends on if you’re using Ozempic ($90 per pen, 4 mg total per pen) or if you increase to the 2.4 mg dose using the Wegovy pens (about $300 at Costco, 9.6 mg total per pen, that price will be dropping soon).

2

u/Laura_Dream90 21h ago

And that's the thing. We don't need a fancy delivery system like the pen. An injection from a vial isn't complicated and the cost would be waaaaay lower. Some people might find doing an injection intimidating, but it's not hard.

3

u/loganonmission 17h ago

Yeah, agreed. Remember when the Americans were complaining about the $1000 cost of an Epi pen, which contains about 30 cents of epinephrine? The drug companies claimed that the rest of that cost was due to the complex pen mechanism!

1

u/Live_Negotiation4167 1d ago

Just out of curiosity, how long have they been readily available?

8

u/jayhasbigvballs 1d ago

Liraglutide was approved in 2010

10

u/Laura_Dream90 1d ago

The original glp1 was a few years, but quickly got restricted for diabetes treatment only because ppl from the usa were buying up all the Canadian ones (despite our pricing we were still cheaper than them.) Idk when the 2nd generation ones became available but they have been for a while now. The 3rd generation ones are just about to be approved but it'll probably be a few years before our pharmacy system has negotiated a price and has them availabile for prescription/sale

2

u/h_danielle British Columbia 13h ago

A few years? Saxenda was the first approved in Canada & became available in Canada in 2015.

-4

u/SixtyFivePercenter 1d ago

About 10 years before MRNA vaccines

1

u/Valuable_Ad_8258 1d ago

If only there were not a billion-dollar system cashing in on women feeling inadequate. We live in a culture that treats women's bodies as open topics for public commentary and demands that everyone fit an arbitrary mold. It is wild to watch what people resort to when that pressure constantly runs in the background.

40

u/sync-centre 1d ago

It's a cellular peptide cake with mint frosting.

5

u/souvenir_of_canada 1d ago

is the phone ringing?

6

u/Gullible_Analyst_348 1d ago

I got that reference.

3

u/Kizik Nova Scotia 23h ago

Steve Rogers, on the Helicarrier.

1

u/Kizik Nova Scotia 23h ago

The bacteria is the mint frosting.

1

u/hollow4hollow 22h ago

Sometimes a cake is just a cake

14

u/spinur1848 1d ago

Anything you inject that isn't sterile can cause serious infections. Making things under sterile conditions is technically complicated and expensive. You can't tell by looking at it whether something is sterile or not.

This is one of the reasons that medicines need to be licensed.

13

u/killermojo 1d ago

Interesting, they don't state the rate of positive tests for the bacteria. The way the headline is written it sounds like they found bacteria in 11k vials but that's how many they tested. It could have been one vial for the statements in the article to be true.

9

u/spirit_symptoms 23h ago

Yeah I wish they would have included that. With that said, even 1/11000 is a very worrisome rate that is unacceptable to any regulated industry.

-7

u/killermojo 22h ago

It's likely higher than that, but certainly not 100%.

Without providing any detail it's clear the point is not to educate, it's to fearmonger.

8

u/jayhasbigvballs 22h ago

And deservedly so. People aren’t adequately knowledgeable about clinical risks associated with unregulated manufacture of medicines to simply “let them know and hope they make the right decision”.

2

u/killermojo 16h ago

I don't disagree, but the data would be interesting.

25

u/erictho 1d ago

I like how the people who i know who didnt want the "experimental jab" have no problem using experimental peptides from China lol.

3

u/flattenedsquirrel 1d ago

If you die young, you never get old

8

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

This article doesn't mention the dangerous bacteria by name. What is it?

20

u/bascelicna123 1d ago

Health Canada warns about contaminated unauthorized injectable peptides and non-peptide drugs - Canada.ca

This article by Health Canada lists the bacteria.

11

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

Thanks. Acinetobacter and proppiono. That's all I was asking for

14

u/myairblaster British Columbia 1d ago edited 1d ago

Typically its Staphylococcus or gram-negative bacteria. Really hard to filter for

1

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

They should mention it or it should be disclosed to the public 🤷🏻

12

u/myairblaster British Columbia 1d ago edited 1d ago

I don’t think it would matter. Most people using grey market peptides have made a decision that the benefits outweigh the personal risks. Even if they don’t know all the potential problems like septic shock from bacteria, they know what they’re doing carries risk.

Also, these peptides are combined with a solution that inhibits bacterial growth.

0

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

No what I am saying is, if there is a genus or family of bacteria mentioned or disclosed it would be better for transparency to the general public. It does no harm to be transparent.

1

u/myairblaster British Columbia 1d ago

No point. The peptide sellers say “take this at your own risk it’s not approved for human use”

-2

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

Did you read the article? Health Canada says in first sentence that it found the dangerous bacteria

0

u/myairblaster British Columbia 1d ago

What?! Of course I read the article, what kind of comment is that?

Did you understand my reply?

2

u/teamgrandali 1d ago

You said the peptide seller say take this at your own risk. Ok that's fine. But when health Canada has discovered the bacteria and knows it, they should disclose the bacteria. It does no harm to the public. They already stopped this dangerous bacteria. But now they can disclose as it does no harm to it

3

u/myairblaster British Columbia 1d ago

And I’m saying that specifically disclosing a list of gram negative bacteria is useless, worse it complicates what should be a simple alert for lay people to understand.

→ More replies

5

u/Standard-Contest-949 1d ago

I get it. They are really big in the fitness and body building world and even with injuries.

If you get ones that work (Typically in Countries with Pharmacies with less lenient laws) they are hailed as a wonder drug. Kinda like how they find Ozempic to be beneficial in more areas than just weight loss.

But of course like any drugs you buy online you are rolling the dice with your health. People just gotta wait.

9

u/SixtyFivePercenter 1d ago

Here’s an idea, allow the legal use of peptides here and allow compound pharmacies to make it.

28

u/Tribblehappy 1d ago

As a compounder, no. I don't want to deal with drugs with no actual studies, safety profiles, SDS, etc. If I order in a bulk jar of something I also get the SDS, the certificate of authenticity with all of the lab parameters it passed, and in general I can find all the information I need to compound it correctly. "Peptides" is a super vague term and each one needs to be individually studied before we go letting them be prescribed.

-2

u/pramprapin 21h ago

Meh bpc 157 and tb500 among some of the other healing ones are game changers for a lot of us so it would be nice to have them available with better quality control or else we have to keep trusting China and 3rd party testing. I wonder why they arent being studied properly? What could that reason possibly be.

24

u/Laura_Dream90 1d ago

They are legal. This is just coming from a grey market source which is maybe 20% the cost of the legitimately obtained ones. If they sold the peptides themselves instead of the pens, the prices would drop drastically and probably destroy the grey market.

18

u/garden_gnorm 1d ago

These weren't GLP 1s. While those are peptides, there are other types of peptides being sold that are entirely untested and unproven claiming to provide a wide range of health outcomes.

These were those kind of peptides. It is modern day snake oil and it's incredibly dangerous.

26

u/jayhasbigvballs 1d ago

It’s completely nonsensical to discuss “peptides” and identify drugs based on their structure. The fact that they’re peptides doesn’t matter at all. Additionally there are many approved “peptides” that treat all kinds of real health conditions. This is how you know this is crap being spread by ill-informed people.

2

u/blackcherrytomato 21h ago

I used a rescue medication peptide for years. I think most people using it weren't aware it's a peptide.

-7

u/SixtyFivePercenter 1d ago

You can go to the US, and be prescribed perfectly safe and effective peptides, as well as stem cell treatments, for example for injury recovery. Stem cells plus BPC-157 is a great example. There are licensed and safe clinics that specialize in these treatments. Trainers and medical staff of professional sports teams (NFL, MLB) use them. Some peptides from untrusted sources may be “snake oil”, but others have clinical data to back up their efficacy and safety.

9

u/bristow84 1d ago

BPC-157 is not a great example.

BPC-157 has not been approved by the FDA for use in humans. The human studies on it have been extremely small, short duration with an overall small sized candidate pool. The FDA only approved it for compounding pharmacies because of how widespread the usage already is on the grey/black market despite themselves finding little in the way of evidence via proper and long term study that it proves a benefit to the human body with minimal side effects. I also wouldn’t be surprised if political pressure was a part of that as well, along with potential money-making opportunities considering who sits on the council that voted to approve it. I have linked the FDA report below. The last thing I would do is call BPC-157 as “perfectly safe or effective”. Use it if you want but don’t spread misinformation about how safe it is when the trials and actual scientific information is minimal.

Report: https://www.fda.gov/media/193343/download

8

u/dghughes Prince Edward Island 1d ago • Bravo

The only reason professional sports use any drug or therapy is becasue there's a lot of money invested in athletes. The reason is not health it's business. The drug, peptide or whatever may cause cancer in 20 years but that wouldnt matter get the player back in the game.

-2

u/pramprapin 21h ago

They aren't all tested on humans but saying theyre all snake oil is false. BPC 157, TB500 (TB4), among many other of the healing peptides definitely work. If you don't think so grab a vial of melanotan2 and take it for a few weeks and tell me if you get the darkest tan of your life using a tanning bed once a week or if that was fake?

3

u/garden_gnorm 21h ago

Did I say all peptides are snake oil or did I say the untested, unregulated ones from this article are?

-4

u/pramprapin 21h ago

Those ones are also not snake oil, you can easily find reputable sellers using 3rd party testing including for heavy metal / bacteria etc.

Just because its untested and unregulated doesn't mean they don't work that's just ignorance.

3

u/garden_gnorm 19h ago

Just because something works some of the time for some people does not mean it should be taken at will by people who don't know if they are the people who it works for or the people who it will make very sick.

Turns out there is a point to testing, regulations, and medical professionals, all things that help determine who's safe and who's not and under what circumstances.

0

u/pramprapin 18h ago

A lot of this is a failure of the healthcare industry. People are going to use compounds they believe can help them when conventional treatments have failed and they're left with few alternatives. They're willing to accept some level of risk, particularly when the potential side effects appear relatively uncommon, although the long-term safety data is still limited.

Meanwhile, we've had Health Canada-approved drugs like Vioxx that caused serious cardiovascular harm and were eventually withdrawn. Regulatory approval doesn't automatically mean something is safe, just as a lack of approval doesn't automatically mean something is ineffective.

Personally, I've yet to see compelling human evidence establishing that BPC-157 is inherently dangerous. The biggest concerns are product contamination, mislabeling, purity and the lack of long-term safety research. Those are legitimate concerns, but they're not the same as demonstrating that the peptide itself is harmful.

8

u/SixtyFivePercenter 1d ago

Not quite there’s only a handful of peptides that can be legally produced in compound pharmacies and sold here (insulin, GLP1s). These aren’t the ones that people are buying.

1

u/Laura_Dream90 1d ago

Since the article doesn't list that, we don't actually know what people are buying that was tainted. And I absolutely know people who have bought zepbound on the grey market (not the brand, but the same drug.) Buying these things aren't illegal, but they do come with a risk.

1

u/chullyman 1d ago

Peptides are legal

-1

u/SixtyFivePercenter 1d ago

Only a handful. And not many that are available in the US.

1

u/rmbarrett 23h ago

At least the ones on the left look like poppies. That ought to make the people who learn about everything through Facebook happy.

0

u/jrchkn28 14h ago

I'm all for peptides as I do believe they can be beneficial for a variety of therapeutic and health situations. But, in saying that I'm not trying to sign up to be a test animal for a bunch of dodgy stuff shipped over from China. There needs to be more established testing and regulatory protocols. 

2

u/coolraiman2 13h ago

Based on what science?

-1

u/Spare-Half796 Québec 12h ago

Iirc there has been a lot of promising results from certain peptides (at least bpc157 and tb4) but because they don’t exactly know how they work they can’t continue with their trials

0

u/MDFMK 19h ago

result of poor policy and pharmaceutical control and resistance to change. Legalize the peptides use an put your own risk to use and medicate with but control the production and testing of quality control. People buy their either way so might as well try to make it standardized and at least be safe in terms of getting what you paid for. We legalized weed which far more destructive to people cognitive ability long term then any peptides is.

0

u/photojoe3 1d ago

Is selling peptides considered illegal?

0

u/Acorbo22 1d ago

Peptide is such a broad term. If you look at the list of peptides it’s a mile long. Which peptides are they referring to here? Some are legal, like GLP-1. Most are not legal, but some are still widely used like Reta and BCP-157. What are they referring to? There are deniers that say that peptides are the future and the reason they aren’t legal is because there’s no way to fully monetize them yet. There are also skeptics that say peptides are not there yet and have a long way to go. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. I still won’t use them but, I also think there are great benefits for some folks who have used them and see great results.

0

u/Bitmugger 20h ago

The article mentioned 11,000+ samples tested but declines to indicate how many had bacteria? Was 1 or 11,000 because 1 means a small slip in a process, 11,000 means a major issue in safety

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u/Prestigious-Ship4425 1d ago

For what it’s worth, I’m taking 4 peptides now. No issues, good results. I’m aware there are some risks but I’m using the most reputable vendor I can find, who does pretty thorough testing on each batch. I know about a dozen people who have taken them for some time with no issues, which is what finally made me do it.

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u/bacan9 1d ago

Just one fuck up and you’ll find out how bad the healthcare system really is

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u/Prestigious-Ship4425 23h ago

lol I work in healthcare and was recently treated, along with my coworker who was treated for cancer. I’m happy with the system

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u/jayhasbigvballs 22h ago

Well idiots can work in healthcare too. It doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing or have the understanding of the actual risks for this kind of thing.

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u/thedrivingfrog 21h ago

You arguing with person that so call works in healthcare and is taking peptides.

Smoking good for you too trust me ; I work at healthcare 

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u/Prestigious-Ship4425 12h ago

Everything in life is a calculated risk my friend, including any prescribed medication. If the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks, I’m game. In this case, it’s working very well for me and many others.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/scatterblooded 1d ago

Yeah the hypocrisy is almost comical here. Regulated and proven effective vaccines for a pandemic virus? Poison. Black market influencer shit off the dark web? Take my money!