The world’s largest and longest-running biohacking conference just wrapped — and peptides were among the hottest topics on the floor.
It’s not hard to see why. In recent years, these experimental compounds have exploded across the worlds of longevity, beauty and fitness, with devotees touting benefits ranging from muscle building and injury recovery to slower aging and improved skin.
The buzz has gotten so loud it’s even being heard in Washington. Just last month, the FDA announced that a panel of its advisers will meet this summer to consider easing restrictions on more than half a dozen peptides, following a push by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — that help drive essential processes like metabolism, tissue repair and immune response. Your body makes them naturally, but synthetic versions have become a booming industry, with influencers flocking to social media to tout their favorite “stacks.”
But according to Dave Asprey, the creator of the biohacking movement, peptides are no silver bullet.
“They are the last thing that you do if you want to get healthy,” Asprey told The Post last week at the 2026 Beyond Biohacking Conference in Austin, Texas.
“If you’re lacking your vitamin D, you’re lacking your minerals, you don’t have any B vitamins — taking peptides [is] like putting nitrous in your car when it has an engine that’s about to blow. It doesn’t work — except for a couple of them.”
Asprey broke down two experimental drugs he says could serve as an entry point for those looking to dip their toe into the fast-moving, still largely unregulated world of peptides.
“These are two peptides you can start with that are going to be foundational,” he said.
The best part: Neither require cozying up with needles.
First up: BPC 157
BPC 157 is a gastric peptide that’s naturally present in the stomach.
“It works by making your stomach less likely to leak food and bacterial toxins into your system,” Asprey explained.
Leaky guts, he said, are a “huge problem.”
While everyone’s guts are semi-permeable, when the lining of the intestines becomes damaged, it can let more than just water and nutrients seep through — including toxins and bacteria that may escape into the bloodstream and fuel inflammation throughout the body.
“If you have joint pain, brain fog, things like that, you might need to tighten up your gut,” Asprey said. “We do that with BPC 157, eating more soluble fiber and fixing your microbiome.”
BPC 157 is also being explored for tissue repair, pain relief, arthritis, nerve regeneration and bone and joint support.
BPC-157 can be taken via injection or a daily pill. At the conference, the Precision Peptide Company also showed off a new needle-free transdermal patch, which is still in development.
Next up: GHK-Cu
This peptide is also found naturally in the body, telling cells to repair and regenerate tissue while also helping with nutrient delivery.
But levels decline with age. Research suggests GHK-Cu can drop by more than half between ages 20 and 60, making it harder for skin to bounce back.
“[GHK-Cu] increases collagen synthesis, which is what you want if you want to look better,” Asprey said.
It’s already a popular ingredient in topical skin and haircare products, with manufacturers claiming it can do everything from reducing fine lines and fading hyperpigmentation to tightening loose skin. It’s also used to strengthen hair follicles, increase thickness and support healthy growth cycles.
Some people inject GHK-Cu, which delivers a more concentrated dose than what’s typically found in creams and serums.
Are BCP 157 and GHK-Cu FDA approved?
Not exactly. As a topical ingredient in over-the-counter skincare products, GHK-Cu is legally recognized as a cosmetic ingredient.
But when it comes to injectables, neither GHK-Cu nor BPC-157 are FDA-approved for any medical condition.
In 2023, the agency reclassified BPC-157 and 18 other manmade peptides as Category 2 Bulk Drug Substances, effectively barring compounding pharmacies from producing them, citing safety concerns and insufficient information on their effects in humans.
Currently, people interested in investigational peptides are turning to a so-called “gray market,” where formulas are created and sold outside the purview of regulators, often through online retailers.
Some experts have cautioned against their use, pointing to concerns over incorrect dosing, potential contaminants, unintended biological effects and the lack of human testing.
The tide may be turning, however.
In July, an FDA advisory committee is set to meet to discuss whether BPC-157 and six other peptides should be made available again to compounding pharmacies. The panel is also expected to convene before the end of February 2027 to review several additional peptides, including GHK-Cu.
Kennedy himself is seen as instrumental in the shift.
After the FDA reclassified BPC-157 and other peptides in 2023, the health secretary said during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience in February that it fueled the production of synthetic compounds containing “very, very substandard” ingredients.
By reintroducing these products to the compounding list, he argued, a legal market could be established that would give consumers access to products made from safely sourced ingredients in licensed facilities.
“I’m very anxious to move — probably not all of those peptides, some of them are in litigation — but about 14 of them back to making them more accessible,” Kennedy said, calling himself a “big fan of peptides.”
Asprey has criticized the FDA’s restrictions on compounding peptides and has applauded recent moves by the government to widen access to certain substances.
Still, he said, those looking to biohack their way to a healthier, longer life have more work to do than turn to drugs for a quick fix.
“The most important thing you need to do is make sure that you have your cake baked before you try to frost it with peptides,” Asprey said.
In general, experts recommend speaking with a doctor before starting any new drugs.
