The National Consumers League Issues a Nationwide Warning About Self-Injecting “Research-Grade” Synthetic Peptides

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – At a time when a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommends loosening restrictions on some widely promoted research-grade peptides, the National Consumers League is going public about the serious health consequences of acquiring and self-injecting peptides that have not been proven through completed clinical trials to be safe and are prohibited for human use in Canada, Australia, the European Union, and by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Peptides, defined as short strings of amino acids, are the fundamental building blocks of proteins naturally produced in the body and act as cellular messengers to regulate functions like metabolism, tissue repair, hormone production and immune responses. To date, the FDA has approved more than 100 peptide-based drugs, including insulin and GLP-1 medications, to treat conditions ranging from diabetes and metabolic disorders, to osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, and severe chronic pain, based on large-scale human clinical trials demonstrating their safety and effectiveness.

However, today a new threat has emerged. Thousands of consumers are going to an underground market to buy unapproved, unregulated injectable “wellness” peptides directly from online storefronts, med-spas, and wellness clinics without understanding that these peptides are not intended for human use, and without knowing of an FDA warning that these peptides “have not been found safe and effective for any condition.” Moreover, consumers may be buying fake or underground retatrutide, a potent weight loss drug currently undergoing clinical trials and not yet FDA-approved. These counterfeit versions of retatrutide could lead to accidental overdoses and severe adverse events.

What makes this gray market so dangerous is the ease with which consumers can buy unapproved peptides outside of regulatory controls. In this market, consumers often learn about “wellness” peptides through social media platforms, Reddit threads, and podcasts where social media influencers, athletes, celebrities, and do-it-yourself biohackers promote these substances for muscle growth, injury recovery, anti-aging, and cognitive enhancement.

This includes wellness peptides that the FDA advisory committee recommends adding to a list of substances that compounding pharmacies can use to make products to sell to consumers, such as BPC-157 and TB-500 for tissue repair and muscle building and MOTS-c for metabolic enhancement and longevity. Also in this category are growth hormone-releasing peptides, including Sermorelin, CJC-1295, and Ipamorelin, for restorative sleep and daytime energy. Not on the list is retatrutide, which is going through a formal FDA approval process, unlike the wellness peptides, where the FDA will review extensive data from many human clinical trials to determine whether retatrutide is safe and effective for clinical use.

According to global health experts, none of the wellness peptides are backed by sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness.  Yet due to the massive hype surrounding synthetic peptides, consumers who believe the claims go online to buy peptides labeled “for research use only,” which is a way for gray market vendors to sidestep drug safety regulations. Moreover, online vendors with website storefronts use slang, such as “pep” for peptide, to announce what they are selling through informal online channels, such as chat rooms and social media platforms. On these same online marketplaces, users rely on social media tutorials and influencers for advice on how to self-administer peptides, which are supplied as powders or injections in poorly labeled or unmarked vials.

There are serious consequences when consumers self-inject unapproved peptide products. Because many popular injectable wellness peptides are not approved or formally regulated by the FDA, there is sparse evidence to verify the safety and efficacy of these substances. Additionally, unapproved peptides are manufactured mostly in facilities in China and India where quality standards vary, and the peptides may go uninspected, leaving consumers with no assurance of their sterility, potency, purity, dosing consistency, or ingredient authenticity.

Therefore, NCL urges consumers to learn about the safety risks associated with taking unapproved experimental peptides and heed these warnings from the American Medical Association (AMA) and many global bodies:

Because retatrutide has not completed the FDA approval process, products sold online or through clinics are black market drugs and come with no guarantee of quality, purity, or dosing accuracy. Consequently, so-called retatrutide sold through the underground market may contain substituted chemicals, toxic impurities, or completely different active compounds instead of true peptide. Already, CBS News found that health problems reported to America’s Poison Centers about retatrutide surged to an average of 95 cases per month in early 2026, a 265% increase from late 2025. Also of great concern, in January 2026, health authorities in Australia issued an urgent alert after multiple users of black-market retatrutide suffered from acute liver failure, major kidney injuries, and life-threatening changes in heart rate.

Claims that wellness peptides aid in muscle repair, inflammation reduction, and injury recovery are not supported by scientific evidence. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) put BPC-157, TB-500, and MOTS-c on its Prohibited List, banning these substances in athletic competition because there is insufficient data to confirm their safety.

In light of these facts, NCL urges consumers to follow the advice of the AMA and global health bodies, all of which urge consumers not to self-inject research-grade synthetic peptides due to the serious safety risks associated with these peptides, including severe immune reactions and possible organ damage.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

National Consumers League Urges Congress — Stronger Protections for Consumers, Ticketing Reform, and Anti-Fraud Collaboration

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – Today, John D. Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League (NCL), testified before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. The hearing, titled “Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace,” addressed key legislation impacting consumer agency authority, marketplace transparency, and fraud prevention.  

In his testimony, Breyault highlighted the urgent necessity of maintaining independent, fully empowered consumer protection regulators like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Pointing to recent judicial rulings—specifically Trump v. Slaughter—he warned against dismantling the structural autonomy of federal watchdogs.  

“Consumers do not need milquetoast enforcers, weighed down by political considerations. We need robust, independent agencies empowered to follow the law and hold corporate wrongdoers accountable,” said John Breyault, Vice President at NCL. “Regardless of which party occupies the White House or controls Congress, when the independence of the FTC or CPSC is compromised, the ultimate casualties are everyday consumers and fair marketplace competition.”  

NCL urged Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to insulate federal enforcers from political interference, preserve regulatory independence, and restore vital enforcement tools.  

NCL also expressed firm support for two key pieces of ticketing legislation aimed at overhauling an industry long plagued by hidden fees, artificial scarcity, and predatory software:  

  • The BOSS and SWIFT Act of 2026 – Championed by Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ6) and building on the legacy of the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, this bill sets comprehensive federal standards across both primary and secondary ticketing markets. Key provisions supported by NCL include mandatory upfront “all-in” pricing, mandatory public disclosures of ticket holdbacks, cracking down on deceptive speculative ticket sales, protecting ticket transfer rights, and prohibiting connected insiders from scalping tickets. 
  • The MAIN Event Ticketing Act (H.R. 2713) – Introduced by Reps. Harshbarger (R-TN1) and Carter (D-LA2), this bill modernizes the 2016 BOTS Act. Breyault detailed how dominant ticketing platforms have historically profited from scalper bots via multi-stage fee collection. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act closes operational loopholes by enhancing reporting requirements for bot attacks, establishing a consumer complaint database, and strengthening enforcement coordination between the FTC, state attorneys general, and law enforcement.  

Addressing the unprecedented rise in deceptive schemes, NCL endorsed H.R. 5967, the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, introduced by Reps. Menendez (D-NJ8) and Houchin (R-IN9). With Americans losing an estimated $195.9 billion to fraud in 2024 alone, NCL underscored the importance of establishing an interagency task force combining resources from the FTC, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, and other federal partners.  

NCL also cautioned lawmakers against measures that weaken consumer safeguards, specifically raising objections to: 

  • The PACK Act of 2025 (H.R. 6832) – Opposed for preempting strong state-level labeling standards—such as California’s Truth in Labeling Law—without setting strong federal baselines to prevent corporate greenwashing. 
  • The Recycled Materials Attribution Act (H.R. 7502) – Opposed for legitimizing “mass balance accounting,” a deceptive framework that allows manufacturers to market products as containing recycled content regardless of the physical composition of individual store items.  

Breyault’s full testimony is available here. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

Consumer Groups Oppose Confirmation of Lorenze, Sessions as CPSC Commissioners

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, and 29 other stakeholders sent a letter to members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation opposing the confirmation of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  The committee is scheduled to vote on the nominations tomorrow. 

“Product safety hazards have no partisan leanings, and neither should the Commission tasked with addressing them,” the letter states.  

In 1972, Congress established the CPSC as an independent federal agency led by five bipartisan commissioners exclusively charged with overseeing the safety of household consumer products. Since then, members of Congress from both parties have supported the role of an independent, nonpartisan CPSC.   

“Historically, the agency’s independence has buffered the commissioners from political pressure from the White House and large donors”; the letter continues. “This has ensured that the agency has acted with transparency and a diversity of views, which has benefited the American people.  Further, the presence of minority commissioners provided a layer of oversight and accountability on CPSC actions.” 

In May 2025, the Trump administration removed the three Democratic, Senate-confirmed CPSC commissioners.  President Trump has since nominated two individuals of his own political party. 

“Diverse perspectives and transparency improve safety,” the letter states.  “Silencing the voices of subject matter experts with whom the President politically disagrees or who may not serve his financial interests can have a chilling effect on the CPSC’s functions. This is particularly troublesome given the conflict of interest created by the President’s financial stake and those of his family and supporters in consumer products the CPSC is entrusted to regulate” 

“We are concerned that without balanced representation at the CPSC, this small agency with a big mission will be unable to independently carry out its congressionally mandated duties and provide the public with the transparency it deserves,” the letter concludes.  “We therefore urge you to oppose reporting favorably the nominations of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as CPSC commissioners.” 

A copy of the letter can be found HERE

Cosigners (31): National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Access Ready Inc.; Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.; Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota; BioInjury, LLC; Center for Auto Safety; Center for Pet Safety; Community Economic Empowerment Network; Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety; Cribs for Kids; Derrick Stone Safe Sleep; Detroit Greenways Coalition; Earth Action, Inc.; Economic Action Maryland Fund; Housing and Economic Rights Advocates; Just Strategy; Keeping Babies Safe; Kids and Car Safety; Missourians for Responsible Transportation; National Association of Consumer Advocates; National Bicycle Dealers Association; People Power United; Safety Research & Strategies; StopDistractions.org; The Collaborative; The Wisconsin Bike Fed; Together We Thrive, Inc.; Trailnet; Truck Safety Coalition; Dr. Charles Jennissen, Product Safety Advocate. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

NCL Petitions FTC For Sports Betting, Prediction Market Notification Controls  

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League, alongside the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, the National Council on Problem Gambling, the Public Health Advocacy Institute, and Truth in Advertising, Inc. (TINA.org), today filed a petition calling on the Federal Trade Commission to require wagering apps to provide consumers better control over the notifications they receive.  

Specifically, the organizations urged the FTC to require sports betting and prediction market companies to obtain permission before sending intrusive, pop-up advertisements as push notifications to consumers’ phones. Additionally, the organizations advocated for the FTC to allow consumers to opt out of receiving marketing notifications while still receiving other non-advertising notifications, like those related to account security.  

“We deserve meaningful control over what we see on our phones,” said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “By making it harder to avoid ads sent by their apps, gambling companies are increasing the odds that users become addicted. And for online gambling, the associated harms for participants are well documented.” 

Federal law requires minimum consumer protections for marketing sent via email and text message, like the ability for recipients to opt out and for companies to obtain consent before sending advertisements. However, no such requirements explicitly exist for push notifications. NCL’s request would apply the same safeguards that exist for advertisements sent over email and text message to advertisements for sports betting and prediction markets delivered via app push notifications.  

A 2025 report by NCL found that, in the aggregate, 93% of notifications sent by the three largest sports betting apps contained advertising material. For apps that do not provide the controls NCL advocates for, users must disable all notifications entirely for the app via their phone’s settings. Doing so also blocks important messages a user would otherwise want to receive, like alerts related to account security. 

NCL, CFG, NCPG, PHAI, and TINA.org’s full petition to the FTC can be found here. 

Additional reading: 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Healthcare Accessibility Nationwide

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By Moses Boyd, NCL Summer Health Policy Intern

Between 9.9 and 14.9 million—the number of people that could become uninsured as a result of the cuts and work requirements imposed by H.R.1, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

446—the number of hospitals across the United States that could shut down or cut services due to H.R.1.

One month—the new, shortened period that Medicaid expansion enrollees can receive retroactive coverage for services received prior to the application date (two months for individuals enrolled through traditional Medicaid), which could leave patients requiring care—including pregnant individuals—with considerable out-of-pocket expenses.

H.R.1 represents one of the most substantial changes to the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The law’s provisions restrict access to healthcare for many low-income Americans and communities that rely on Medicaid. H.R.1 limits primary care access, fosters greater health center consolidation, and makes coverage requirements more stringent—all of which jeopardize access to affordable healthcare. As we mark one year since the bill’s passage, it is important to reflect on its impact on American consumers.

One of H.R.1’s most profound effects on the healthcare system is its restructuring of Medicaid eligibility and enrollment. The law sets strict new work requirements on numerous Medicaid beneficiaries, making it increasingly burdensome for low-income individuals to get and retain insurance coverage. This burden is not only felt by those seeking coverage—who must demonstrate compliance with the 80-hour-per-month work requirement or request an exemption when applying for or renewing coverage—but also by state governments, which must now implement systems that comply with those standards or risk losing federal funding. As many of those affected are already working, attending school, caring for family members, or managing health conditions, these restrictions may force them to forgo coverage entirely due to the difficulty in navigating the administrative barriers to maintain it.

Work requirements are far from a novel idea in the realm of Medicaid eligibility. Prior to the passage of H.R.1, 11 states had attempted to implement the practice in their Medicaid programs by applying for Section 1115 waivers—authorizations granted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which allow states to test experimental changes to their Medicaid programs. Some of these states’ legislatures also introduced legislation directing their Medicaid agencies to pursue and enforce these requirements. Just two out of these 11 states, Arkansas and Georgia, were able to successfully overcome federal lawsuits, court injunctions, and administrative rollbacks that challenged these requirements; only Georgia’s remain in effect. In Arkansas, an estimated 18,000 eligible beneficiaries lost coverage under work requirements because of logistical and reporting challenges—prompting a federal district judge to halt the program.

From this, an important question arises: why are we doing this again if it did not work the first time?

Because Medicaid primarily serves low-income Americans—a population disproportionately composed of people with disabilities, single-parent households, rural residents, and racial minorities—work requirements are likely to exacerbate existing disparities in healthcare access.

When health coverage is lost, even temporarily, patients are more likely to delay care, leading to worsened health outcomes.

Alongside the danger of individuals losing personal coverage, the legislation also raises concerns about the financial stability of hospitals that serve large numbers of Medicaid patients. According to Public Citizen, hospitals at risk of closing serve approximately 6.6 million patients annually and employ over 275,000 workers. As coverage losses increase, hospitals face higher levels of uncompensated care and reduced reimbursement revenue, placing additional pressure on facilities that already operate on narrow financial margins. Communities that depend on rural hospitals and safety-net providers, such as community health centers, are especially affected because these facilities are often the only source of emergency and specialty care.

Economic concerns have already led some health systems to reduce services. For example, MedStar Washington Hospital Center recently announced the closure of a postpartum unit and the elimination of nursing positions, citing financial pressures. In places where these medical centers are a major employer, local employment and industry are also negatively affected. When health systems cut services, consumers are left with fewer options for care and must travel further to see a healthcare provider. During medical emergencies, mere minutes can mean the difference between life and death; for pregnant individuals, a miscarriage, premature delivery, or other complication could be catastrophic. Additionally, because of H.R.1’s narrowing of the retroactive coverage window, such events could leave these patients responsible for significant medical debt if they are unable to apply for coverage in time.

Americans already spend more on healthcare than residents of any other developed nation, yet millions continue to face barriers to obtaining timely care. As more people become uninsured, hospitals and other providers absorb higher levels of uncompensated care, costs that are shifted throughout the healthcare system and ultimately borne by patients, employers, and taxpayers through higher premiums and healthcare costs. At the same time, more uninsured individuals are left to shoulder the full cost of essential medical care, driving increases in medical debt—a uniquely American problem that can damage credit, make it harder to qualify for a mortgage or other loans, and force families to delay additional healthcare and other basic necessities.

One year after its enactment, H.R.1 has become a defining test of the nation’s commitment to healthcare access. The coming years will reveal the full scope of its effects, but the warning signs are already clear. Millions of Americans face new barriers to coverage, hundreds of hospitals face mounting financial pressure, and patients who rely on Medicaid face a greater risk of losing access to care. The true cost of these changes will be seen in delayed care, rising medical debt, and diminished access to healthcare in communities across the country. Ensuring that healthcare remains accessible and affordable must remain a national priority.

NCL, 14 Other Orgs Oppose X/Twitter Attempt to Escape Privacy Requirements

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League and 14 other organizations submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opposing a petition from X Corp. (formerly Twitter) to discard an order requiring the company to maintain privacy and cybersecurity safeguards. The order—unanimously approved in 2022 by two Republican and two Democratic commissioners—was necessitated after Twitter repeatedly violated a preexisting privacy order it had been under since 2011. The 2011 order was also ratified unanimously at the time by two Republicans and three Democrats.  

“Users on one of the largest social media platforms deserve to have their privacy protected,” said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “The FTC’s privacy order is the best bet Americans have right now to see accountability if X violates the law again. Given X and its predecessor Twitter’s repeated disregard for keeping our data safe, the sensible thing for the FTC to do is to toss this petition in the trash with haste.” 

In the joint filing, the coalition details how X’s petition fails to meet the rigorous legal standard required to lift or modify an FTC consent decree, which demands a clear showing of unforeseen conditions generating a “grievous wrong.” Far from demonstrating a safe corporate transformation, the groups argue that X’s current practices present an escalating threat to user privacy. The comment highlights a recent leak of 2.8 billion records, international investigations into illicit content generated by its “Grok” AI model, and the platform’s ongoing harvesting of hundreds of millions of user posts without explicit consent to train its artificial intelligence systems—proving that strict, independent federal enforcement is more vital than ever. 

The comment was drafted by the Demand Progress Education Fund, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and NCL. 11 other organizations signed on: the Center for Digital Democracy, Check My Ads Institute, Constitutional Alliance, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Oregon Consumer Justice, the Oregon Consumer League, Public Citizen, Travelers United, and the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council. 

The full comments can be found here. 

Additional reading: 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

One Year Later, Health Coverage Is Harder to Get—and Easier to Lose

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – One year after the enactment of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the National Consumers League (NCL) warns that millions of Americans will face new barriers to obtaining and maintaining Medicaid coverage.  

“Healthcare is not a privilege reserved for those who can successfully navigate an increasingly complicated bureaucracy—it is a necessity every person should be able to count on,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg.“No family should lose coverage because they struggled to navigate red tape or complete confusing forms required to document work hours. Yet these policies move us further away from a healthcare system that puts patients first.” 

Compounding these challenges, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued an interim final rule this month that will place additional barriers on patients, including those with serious illnesses, from enrolling in and maintaining Medicaid coverage. 

“At a time when healthcare costs continue to rise, Greenberg concluded, the answer cannot be to make health insurance harder to get or easier to lose. Consumers deserve a healthcare system that works for them, not against them.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.