Prof Channa Jayasena of Imperial College London, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology and andrology at Hammersmith and St Mary's hospitals, has warned that the UK has become a 'wild west' for experimental peptides, steroids, and other unregulated substances. He said action must be taken to avoid fatalities, as he encounters patients 'day in, day out' who are taking these products.
Risks and regulatory gaps
Jayasena highlighted serious risks, noting that steroids increase the risk of death threefold, while peptides—often made in China without standard quality controls—pose contamination dangers. He stated the issue is 'falling between the stools' of regulatory bodies, with no oversight for non-professionals making medical claims. 'It feels that we're in the wild west... a situation of lawlessness when it comes to people normalising the administration of potentially very powerful and sometimes untested peptides,' he said.
He added: 'People are buying this stuff and injecting it into their veins. This is atrocious, and this could lead to deaths... I do think there's a need for a politician or someone to actually take this by the scruff of the neck because someone's going to die.'
Normalisation on social media
An investigation by the Guardian revealed fitness influencers using Telegram to sell anabolic steroids, prescription-only medicines, and unregulated peptides. Susan Backhouse, professor of sport psychology at Leeds Beckett University, noted a broader normalisation of enhancement across demographics. 'Both men and women are showing increasing dissatisfaction with how their bodies look and feel, contributing to the normalisation of enhancement practices,' she said. 'Access has become incredibly easy. Someone can see an influencer promoting a product, click a link, and have that product delivered directly to their door within days.'
Political response
Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat chair of the health select committee, expressed concern that tech firms are 'uninterested in protecting people' and that the MHRA and other agencies lack resources. Former GP and Conservative MP Luke Evans said the online sphere 'is making things 10 times worse' and that many users do not consider themselves drug users. He called for awareness, data collection, and accountability.
A government spokesperson stated: 'The UK takes the illegal sale and supply of medicines and potentially harmful substances seriously. The MHRA's criminal enforcement unit investigates suspected offences, disrupts illegal supply chains, removes unsafe or unauthorised products and brings prosecutions where appropriate. Under the Online Safety Act, the illegal sale of drugs is treated as a priority given the serious harm it can cause.'
