The regulator has warned suppliers, influencers and consumers that enforcement against unapproved peptide products is ramping up as online promotion of the substances continues to surge.
The TGA has escalated its crackdown on Australia’s booming online peptide market, warning suppliers, influencers and online sellers that unlawful promotion or sale of unapproved peptide products could lead to product seizures, hefty penalties or even criminal prosecution.
Despite repeated warnings from the regulator, peptide products continue to be promoted online for weight loss, anti-ageing, muscle growth, performance enhancement and cosmetic purposes.
In a statement released today, the TGA said it was stepping up compliance action against businesses and individuals advertising, importing, manufacturing, supplying or exporting unapproved peptide products.
It vowed to use the full suite of enforcement powers available to disrupt the market and said it was working directly with social media and e-commerce platforms to remove unlawful advertising and prevent it from reappearing.
Deputy secretary of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and head of the TGA Professor Anthony Lawler said businesses should expect action if they continued operating outside Australia’s therapeutic goods laws.
“I have written directly to social media and e-commerce platforms, raising the impact and potential consequences of unlawful advertising and sale of unapproved peptide products,” Professor Lawlor said.
“We expect platforms to identify and remove unlawful content and take steps to stop it reappearing.
“The message is simple. If you are unlawfully importing, manufacturing, advertising or supplying unapproved peptide products, expect the TGA to take action.
“These products can pose serious risks to Australian consumers, and businesses should not assume they can operate outside Australia’s therapeutic goods framework without consequences.”
Advertising unapproved therapeutic goods directly to Australian consumers is generally prohibited under therapeutic goods legislation. The ban extends to websites, online marketplaces, social media posts, influencer content, affiliate marketing and other forms of digital advertising.
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The TGA emphasised that influencers, affiliates and content creators promoting unapproved peptide products could also be held accountable for unlawful advertising, even if they were not directly selling the products.
Compliance measures available to the regulator include warning letters, infringement notices, product seizures and forfeiture, civil penalties and, in the most serious cases, criminal prosecution.
The renewed warning reflects growing concern about the proliferation of peptide products being marketed directly to consumers without regulatory oversight. Many products have not been assessed by the TGA for safety, quality or effectiveness, leaving consumers with no clear assurance about what they are buying or injecting.
The regulator said it was increasingly intercepting unlabelled peptide vials at Australia’s border that contained no identifying information about their contents or origin.
It warned that products manufactured outside appropriate quality systems may contain incorrect ingredients, contaminants or fail to meet basic sterility standards, posing potentially serious health risks.
The TGA’s chief medical adviser Professor Robyn Langham said unapproved peptide products presented significant and unpredictable health risks.
“We are particularly concerned about products purchased online or through social media, where there is often little information about how they were made, what they contain, or the risks they may pose,” Professor Langham said.
The regulator is urging consumers considering peptide products to first seek advice from a registered health professional and to report any adverse events associated with their use.
It also reminded businesses that “manufacture” under the Therapeutic Goods Act extends beyond producing a substance and includes activities such as applying labels to blank vials, packaging products for distribution and storing products before they reach their final state.
Businesses and individuals importing unapproved peptide products also risk financial losses if shipments are intercepted at the border and destroyed.
The latest enforcement campaign forms part of the TGA’s broader effort to curb the rapid growth of online sales of unapproved therapeutic goods, particularly products promoted through social media and digital marketplaces.
Last week the TGA announced it had issued five infringement notices totalling $99,000 to Acacia Pharmacy Pty Ltd for the alleged unlawful importation of unapproved melatonin products. The infringement notices were paid in June 2026.
In January this year, as reported by The Medical Republic, the TGA released an updated safety advisory about imported counterfeit melatonin products.
A prescription is required to purchase melatonin in Australia, save for a handful of specific circumstances in adults. Serious side effects – including accidental overdose and hospitalisation – can occur when melatonin is taken without appropriate medical oversight.
