US: A looming threat to peptides & rHGH from China, and potentially India pharma.

[Ghoul]

A number of changes are taking place that, cumulatively, are a strong signal that direct imports of peptides, despite not being explicitly illegal, and rHGH into the US may become increasingly difficult over the next few months. I suspect this may spillover into India pharma as well.

If you rely on any of this stuff, take this heads up as you will, and plan accordingly. It may become much harder, and/or more expensive to acquire these things if this new enforcement regime ramps up in coming months.

1. The FDA will provide more personnel to international mail facilities and play an expanded role in analyzing the mandatory and expanded (ie more details about each pack) electronic customs data sent to CBP prior to arrival by using AI to select targets for inspection. This includes the sender and recipient data. Any involvement by the sender or recipient with prior seizures will certainly be a red flag.

2. The Justice Department is setting up a dedicated group to prosecute false customs declarations on packages, both civilly, and criminally. This was already the law, but almost never enforced before.

3. Today, a large group of congressional representatives published a letter to the FDA demanding to know what they're doing to stop weight loss peptides from entering the US from China. They're characterizing it as an emergency and given them only 5 days to answer. This is political theater that usually means there's already a plan in place to do something significant, with Congress's "demand" giving an agency justification to go beyond business as usual, including spending a lot of money.

4. CBP is flush with cash from the BBB, including tens of billions of dollars allocated for thousands of new customs agents and equipment.

https://archive.is/20250725161230/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-25/lawmakers-press-fda-to-target-compounded-fake-weight-loss-drugs

 

[Ghoul]

By the way, we all know this has little to do with safety, and neither non-weight loss peptides or rHGH is the target. However, just like AAS became collateral damage of the war on fentanyl precursors, these compounds will get caught up in the same net being used to protect pharma profits.

 

[Nidus]

By the way, we all know this has little to do with safety, and neither non-weight loss peptides or rHGH is the target. However, just like AAS became collateral damage of the war on fentanyl precursors, these compounds will get caught up in the same net being used to protect pharma profits.

Correct me if i am wrong but this all seems to be more strictly towards NA, meaning that it isnt so bad to be living in the EU after all (regardless of this i still expect the same situation with Mast/Primo)

 

[Ghoul]

Correct me if i am wrong but this all seems to be more strictly towards NA, meaning that it isnt so bad to be living in the EU after all (regardless of this i still expect the same situation with Mast/Primo)

It's US specific, however, we've already seen China is willing to proactively cut off supply at the root rather than allow "proof" via seizures that can used against them to demonstrate China is behaving as a rogue state.

We'll see. As usual I hope this amounts to nothing and things remain business as usual.

But my gut tells me we may be living in the final "golden" days of cheap, plentiful peptides and rHGH.

Just a nudge for those who prefer to stock up as cheap insurance against a future of uncertain availability. (before the soccer moms get wind of this, panic, and deplete supplies).

 

[Nidus]

It's US specific, however, we've already seen China is willing to proactively cut off supply at the root rather than allow "proof" via seizures that can used against them to demonstrate China is behaving as a rogue state.

We'll see. As usual I hope this amounts to nothing and things remain business as usual.

But my gut tells me we may be living in the final "golden" days of cheap, plentiful peptides and rHGH.

Just a nudge for those who prefer to stock up as cheap insurance against a future of uncertain availability. (before the soccer moms get wind of this, panic, and deplete supplies).

Yeah exactly what i expect, similar stuff to happen. Freaking sucks

 

[newguy2]

3. Today, a large group of congressional representatives published a letter to the FDA demanding to know what they're doing to stop weight loss peptides from entering the US from China. They're characterizing it as an emergency and given them only 5 days to answer. This is political theater that usually means there's already a plan in place to do something significant, with Congress's "demand" giving an agency justification to go beyond business as usual, including spending a lot of money.

This kind of makes my blood boil. The pharma industry is so wicked. We all know there is a single motivation behind this. $$$$$$ The senators don't care until almighty pharma throws their weight around.

 

[readalot]

A number of changes are taking place that, cumulatively, are a strong signal that direct imports of peptides, despite not being explicitly illegal, and rHGH into the US may become increasingly difficult over the next few months. I suspect this may spillover into India pharma as well.

If you rely on any of this stuff, take this heads up as you will, and plan accordingly. It may become much harder, and/or more expensive to acquire these things if this new enforcement regime ramps up in coming months.

1. The FDA will provide more personnel to international mail facilities and play an expanded role in analyzing the mandatory and expanded (ie more details about each pack) electronic customs data sent to CBP prior to arrival by using AI to select targets for inspection. This includes the sender and recipient data. Any involvement by the sender or recipient with prior seizures will certainly be a red flag.

2. The Justice Department is setting up a dedicated group to prosecute false customs declarations on packages, both civilly, and criminally. This was already the law, but almost never enforced before.

3. Today, a large group of congressional representatives published a letter to the FDA demanding to know what they're doing to stop weight loss peptides from entering the US from China. They're characterizing it as an emergency and given them only 5 days to answer. This is political theater that usually means there's already a plan in place to do something significant, with Congress's "demand" giving an agency justification to go beyond business as usual, including spending a lot of money.

4. CBP is flush with cash from the BBB, including tens of billions of dollars allocated for thousands of new customs agents and equipment.

https://archive.is/20250725161230/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-25/lawmakers-press-fda-to-target-compounded-fake-weight-loss-drugs

View attachment 337908
View attachment 337910

And there it is. Pharma has spoken.

 

[bossetti]

A number of changes are taking place that, cumulatively, are a strong signal that direct imports of peptides, despite not being explicitly illegal, and rHGH into the US may become increasingly difficult over the next few months. I suspect this may spillover into India pharma as well.

If you rely on any of this stuff, take this heads up as you will, and plan accordingly. It may become much harder, and/or more expensive to acquire these things if this new enforcement regime ramps up in coming months.

1. The FDA will provide more personnel to international mail facilities and play an expanded role in analyzing the mandatory and expanded (ie more details about each pack) electronic customs data sent to CBP prior to arrival by using AI to select targets for inspection. This includes the sender and recipient data. Any involvement by the sender or recipient with prior seizures will certainly be a red flag.

2. The Justice Department is setting up a dedicated group to prosecute false customs declarations on packages, both civilly, and criminally. This was already the law, but almost never enforced before.

3. Today, a large group of congressional representatives published a letter to the FDA demanding to know what they're doing to stop weight loss peptides from entering the US from China. They're characterizing it as an emergency and given them only 5 days to answer. This is political theater that usually means there's already a plan in place to do something significant, with Congress's "demand" giving an agency justification to go beyond business as usual, including spending a lot of money.

4. CBP is flush with cash from the BBB, including tens of billions of dollars allocated for thousands of new customs agents and equipment.

https://archive.is/20250725161230/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-25/lawmakers-press-fda-to-target-compounded-fake-weight-loss-drugs

View attachment 337908
View attachment 337910

For us from the old world we are a bit safer?

 

[Ghoul]

For us from the old world we are a bit safer?

Probably. But Novo Nordisk and Eli Lily are just as powerful in the EU as they are in the US.

$7 billion in Semaglitide and Tirzapatide sales in the EU last year, with much more expected in the future, will pay for many expensive lunches with politicians to convince them to put the same "protection" against China in place.

If I had to guess, I'd say China does more to make things harder than any border control does.

China wants to become the legitimate world leader in advanced drugs.

China has already developed numerous original, functional GLP drugs.

They have joint ventures with Novo Nordisk to get them approved in the West. That industry will be thousands of times more valuable than UGLs are.

Allowing this underground industry to flourish for a few years no doubt helped Chinese plans for the future by funding plenty of hands on experience for an army of workers who can easily move their skills into legitimate, highly profitable pharma manufacturing.

 

[bossetti]

Probably. But Novo Nordisk and Eli Lily are just as powerful in the EU as they are in the US.

$7 billion in Semaglitide and Tirzapatide sales in the EU last year, with much more expected in the future, will pay for many expensive lunches with politicians to convince them to put the same "protection" against China in place.

So alao with peptides we could be cooked lol,not that i really care about semaglutide but i dont think if they see a eptide they test it and its not semaglutide they dont care lol
Btw seeing peptide prices open ur mind about how much they made on pharma products

 

[qadsan]

It's US specific, however, we've already seen China is willing to proactively cut off supply at the root rather than allow "proof" via seizures that can used against them to demonstrate China is behaving as a rogue state.

We'll see. As usual I hope this amounts to nothing and things remain business as usual.

But my gut tells me we may be living in the final "golden" days of cheap, plentiful peptides and rHGH.

Just a nudge for those who prefer to stock up as cheap insurance against a future of uncertain availability. (before the soccer moms get wind of this, panic, and deplete supplies).

Thanks @Ghoul

You called it correct on the oils last August and hopefully people stocked up then. Having a healthy reserve of gear is never a bad idea as long as it’s properly stored.

Hopefully this amounts to nothing for the peptides, but I appreciate the heads up.

 

[wveers89]

Any word on if this is being pushed primarily by one party or is it both Rs and Ds? Curious if a midterm upset would affect anything.

 

[bubba618]

Any word on if this is being pushed primarily by one party or is it both Rs and Ds? Curious if a midterm upset would affect anything.

The Biden administration started the move to curtail de minimus for several classifications of goods, and in January 2025 CBP issued recommendations to require mor data for incoming parcels as well as elimination of de minimus for several classifications of goods. There was bipartisan support for these changes in Congress at that time.

The Trump administration continued the process via executive orders, and as I understand it the moves still enjoy bipartisan support.

Even if the midterm elections flip Congress, do not expect to see de minimus changes rolled back. What you might see is a rollback on tariffs as I know there is pending litigation in front of SCOTUS regarding Pres. Trump's actions via executive order and tariffs encroaching on Congress' Constitutional authority regarding taxes and tariffs.

 

[RockyP]

Any word on if this is being pushed primarily by one party or is it both Rs and Ds? Curious if a midterm upset would affect anything.

Sorry to be the one to tell you but they're both on the same team. They're part of a club and none of us are. They are doing the bidding of the pharma companies. I have an Rx for most everything I take but it is ungodly expensive.

 

[eryximachus]

I still don't understand why Primo/Mast are the ones most affected by whatever changes are going on. Fentanyl is made from piperidine, which is the basis of many psychoactive drugs like Paxil and Haldol. But it is entirely unrelated to DHT, which is the basis of Primo and Mast.

 

[RockyP]

I still don't understand why Primo/Mast are the ones most affected by whatever changes are going on. Fentanyl is made from piperidine, which is the basis of many psychoactive drugs like Paxil and Haldol. But it is entirely unrelated to DHT, which is the basis of Primo and Mast.

I think it’s a different topic. Primo / mast are out due to demand. I think the issue is that it will be more difficult to get ALL raws soon

 

[KapnKrunch]

I still don't understand why Primo/Mast are the ones most affected by whatever changes are going on. Fentanyl is made from piperidine, which is the basis of many psychoactive drugs like Paxil and Haldol. But it is entirely unrelated to DHT, which is the basis of Primo and Mast.

It's all theater. There are no precursors that are shared between fentanyl and steroid manufacturing. But that's how the media portrays it.

Pretty sure they also cracked down on DHT precursors too - but it just doesn't sound as glamorous as a hardcore death drug now does it?

 

[eryximachus]

It's all theater. There are no precursors that are shared between fentanyl and steroid manufacturing. But that's how the media portrays it.

Pretty sure they also cracked down on DHT precursors too - but it just doesn't sound as glamorous as a hardcore death drug now does it?

Honestly, I don't really see how they can crack down on piperidine. It's used to make a ton of pharmaceuticals. DHT precursors, yeah, maybe they can crack down on that.

 

[MadaFacor]

I think it’s a different topic. Primo / mast are out due to demand. I think the issue is that it will be more difficult to get ALL raws soon

Wait....am I woefully uniformed.Yes the demand is high but it's because there are no raws. It's not being manufactured in any meaningful amount. Some of the Chinese labs are saying it will NOT be restocked.

 

[y777]

I still don't understand why Primo/Mast are the ones most affected by whatever changes are going on. Fentanyl is made from piperidine, which is the basis of many psychoactive drugs like Paxil and Haldol. But it is entirely unrelated to DHT, which is the basis of Primo and Mast.

I’m guessing that it’s bcos there’s no legit large pharma demand for these raws. If Bayer stopped making Rimobolan that only leaves test Deca with larger pharma demand. With a sprinkle of veterinary leftover demand for Winnie /EQ