Dangers of Injectable Peptides and Other Unregulated "Biohacking" Drugs.
{"Injectable":[0],"peptides":[1,22,63],"are":[2],"increasingly":[3],"used":[4],"without":[5,41],"prescriptions":[6],"for":[7],"cosmetic":[8],"and":[9,16,25,61,68,92,105,122],"athletic":[10],"enhancement,":[11],"driven":[12],"by":[13],"digital":[14],"marketing":[15],"social":[17],"media.":[18],"While":[19],"evidence-based,":[20],"FDA-approved":[21],"like":[23,59],"semaglutide":[24],"tirzepatide":[26],"offer":[27],"significant":[28],"clinical":[29],"benefits":[30],"under":[31],"medical":[32],"supervision,":[33],"an":[34],"expanding":[35],"illicit":[36],"market":[37],"provides":[38],"easy":[39],"access":[40],"a":[42],"prescription":[43],"to":[44],"many":[45],"unapproved":[46,62],"experimental":[47],"drugs.":[48],"These":[49],"unregulated":[50],"substances-including":[51],"the":[52,107],"veterinary":[53],"anabolic":[54],"steroid":[55],"trenbolone,":[56],"investigational":[57],"triple-agonists":[58],"retatrutide,":[60],"such":[64],"as":[65],"BPC-157,":[66],"TB-500,":[67],"melanotan-II-lack":[69],"established":[70],"human":[71],"safety":[72],"profiles.":[73],"Their":[74],"use":[75],"introduces":[76],"severe":[77],"potential":[78,126],"risks,":[79],"including":[80],"product":[81],"contamination,":[82],"manufacturing":[83],"impurities,":[84],"inaccurate":[85],"dosing,":[86],"pathological":[87],"angiogenesis,":[88],"carcinogenesis,":[89],"cardiovascular":[90],"stress,":[91],"supraphysiological":[93],"hormonal":[94],"signaling.":[95],"This":[96],"review":[97],"differentiates":[98],"evidence-based":[99],"therapeutics":[100],"from":[101],"unproven,":[102],"high-risk":[103],"compounds":[104],"outlines":[106],"molecular":[108],"mechanisms":[109],"of":[110,130],"toxicity":[111],"associated":[112],"with":[113],"popular":[114],"\\"looksmaxxing\\"":[115],"injectables.":[116],"Clinicians":[117],"must":[118],"recognize":[119],"these":[120,131],"trends,":[121],"counsel":[123],"patients":[124],"on":[125],"long-term":[127],"health":[128],"hazards":[129],"potent":[132],"agents.":[133]}
Authors
- James H. O’Keefe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3376-5822)
- Evan L. O’Keefe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2746-2323)
- Areeba Moiz
Institutions
- Saint Luke's Health System (US)
- Saint Luke's Hospital (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PubMed
- Published
- 2026-09-18
- Primary Topic
- Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00