Tag

Gray Market

All articles tagged with #gray market

Menopausal Women Turn to Unregulated Peptides as DIY Hormone Therapy
health25 days ago

Menopausal Women Turn to Unregulated Peptides as DIY Hormone Therapy

A growing number of women are bypassing traditional medical channels to use experimental, unapproved peptides for managing menopause and perimenopause symptoms. Driven by social media influencers and a lack of effective conventional treatments, these individuals often self-administer injectable compounds like retatrutide and BPC-157. While many report significant improvements in energy, mood, and weight, the practice carries substantial risks, including incorrect dosing, adverse physical reactions, and exposure to counterfeit products. Medical experts warn that the lack of regulation and clinical oversight makes this a dangerous 'gray market' trend.

Women's DIY Peptide Boom Exposes Gaps in Medical Care and Safety
health25 days ago

Women's DIY Peptide Boom Exposes Gaps in Medical Care and Safety

A surge in women using unapproved 'research peptides' for pain, hormonal issues, and recovery highlights a gap between medical care and patient needs. While social media normalizes these injections, experts warn of serious risks due to lack of human trials. The FDA is considering regulatory changes to allow safer compounding, but current gray-market products remain contaminated and unregulated.

FDA Panel Bets Big on Six Peptides Amid Safety Debates
health2 months ago

FDA Panel Bets Big on Six Peptides Amid Safety Debates

An FDA advisory panel voted to recommend approving six of seven peptides previously banned, including BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-c, Emideltide, and Semax (Epitalon was rejected), signaling a potential surge in a U.S. peptide industry but drawing scrutiny over safety data and whether it will curb the gray market; final agency approval remains uncertain and could stretch into 2027.

Peptides craze meets caution: unregulated injections spark safety and regulatory questions
medicine-and-drugs3 months ago

Peptides craze meets caution: unregulated injections spark safety and regulatory questions

A wellness-driven surge in peptide injections touted for healing, recovery, and muscle-building rests on limited clinical evidence and carries safety risks. In 2023 the FDA banned production of several peptides by compounding pharmacies due to safety concerns and impurities, and the agency does not approve such compounds. US policy discussions about legalizing broader compounding could boost access but also risk, as product quality and dosing vary and most data come from animal studies. Experts urge caution and emphasize that rigorous human trials are still needed to establish true benefits and safety.

NYC's Slow Legal Weed Rollout Sparks Gray Market Cannabis Boom.
business3 years ago

NYC's Slow Legal Weed Rollout Sparks Gray Market Cannabis Boom.

The slow rollout of legal weed in the Tri-State area has led to the proliferation of "gray" market cannabis shops, with an estimated 1,400 illicit businesses in New York City alone. While state officials are trying to right the wrongs of the "War on Drugs" with social equity components in their recreational marijuana programs, anti-marijuana activists are trying to slow the fast pace of legal cannabis adoption. The national cannabis market is estimated to reach $71 billion in sales by 2030, with the New York state market alone potentially making up 10% of that.

Risks of Hormone Therapy from Unverified Online Sources for Trans Patients
health3 years ago

Risks of Hormone Therapy from Unverified Online Sources for Trans Patients

Transgender patients in the US are turning to unregulated foreign drug websites to access hormone therapy amid fears of bans in Republican states. The online marketplace, known as the gray market, is comprised of unregulated suppliers who sell legitimate medications, sometimes name-brand, outside the distribution channels authorized by the manufacturers. Doctors warn that self-administering hormones is "extraordinarily dangerous" because they can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots, and there are no guarantees the drugs are legitimate. Missouri has issued a first-of-its-kind emergency rule that said adults must have had gender dysphoria for three years and received at least 18 months of therapy before receiving the drugs.