Aug 10, 2026 – 5.00amDoctors who prescribe unapproved peptides – and the patients who take them – often have a ready-made response for when someone mentions the lack of clinical trial data to support their much-loved injectables. “It’s because big pharma can’t patent naturally occurring compounds,” they say.Since peptides are naturally occurring, it’s argued no large pharmaceutical company would spend the billions of dollars it might take to put one through clinical trials because nothing would stop a rival company from copying their work at the end of it.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Euan BlackHealth and wellness reporterEuan Black is the health and wellness reporter at The Australian Financial Review. He was the work and careers reporter.Fetching latest articles