Interest in using peptides for purposes such as weight loss, anti-ageing, and injury recovery has seen a recent increase. This includes approved prescription weight-loss medications that utilise synthetic peptides designed to mimic natural hormones.
However, sales of experimental and unregulated peptides are reportedly rising, with online sellers promoting them as part of "wellness" regimes. Professor Channa Jayasena of Imperial College London, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology and andrology, recently stated that the UK has become a "wild west" for those selling experimental peptides, steroids, and other substances.