RFK Jr. Peptide Policy Can To strengthen Hims & Hers as the GLP-1 business changes

With the development of the high-margin GLP-1 composite business, Himes and hers health A new opportunity may be found in peptides.

Shares of the telehealth company jumped Thursday after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to convene a Pharmaceutical Compounding Advisory Committee to review peptides for possible inclusion in the 503A combination list, a designation that allows drugs to be compounded on an individual prescribed basis rather than through mass production.

For Himes, the bigger story is how expanding the formulation of peptides could open up new revenue streams as it steers members toward branded compounded GLP-1 drugs rather than the more profitable compounded GLP-1 drugs. The telehealth company has been moving into the peptide business for years.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids — think of them as little building blocks of proteins — that are being explored for a wide range of health and wellness uses. They are controversial because scientific evidence on their long-term safety and effectiveness is limited, and their production remains largely unregulated.

Hims & Hers made a significant move into the space in February 2025 when it acquired a peptide facility in California. At the time, CEO Andrew Dudom described the demand for the peptide as a “future-facing innovation.”

“Many use cases have not been launched yet,” Dudum said. “Peptide innovation is at the forefront of many categories that we are excited to begin offering.”

Following Kennedy’s announcement on Wednesday, Dr. Patrick Carroll, chief medical officer at Hims, hailed the news as a step away from the “gray market,” saying the goal is to bring peptide therapy into structured, physician-led care.

“Our medical team believes that certain peptide therapies hold meaningful potential in helping Americans live healthier lives, and we are actively exploring how to expand access in a way consistent with FDA guidelines,” Carroll said.

Leerink Partners described the news that the FDA will review peptides for the compound list as a positive outcome that could give Himes a clearer regulatory path to expand peptide therapeutics. However, the company said it will take some time for the peptides to boost the company’s bottom line.

“This won’t immediately translate into revenue, but it looks like it will be a growth vehicle that HIMS will push aggressively,” said Leerink analyst Michael Cherney, who has an equivalent rating on the stock and a $25 price target. The stock was trading at about $26 a share on Thursday.

Currently, it is still early days, and the clinical evidence supporting many peptide therapies is still limited.

Of the dozens of peptides Kennedy included for consideration in the combined compound list, one — MK-677 — is often treated as an illegal drug when sold for human consumption. HGH has also been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Other peptides on the list, such as GHK-Cu and Semax, which are used for cosmetic or cognitive enhancement, are generally viewed as less controversial, but still lack solid scientific support.

Kennedy — who has supported many medical treatments and nutritional options outside those supported by mainstream science — was asked about his plans to expand peptide therapies during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Thursday.

“Peptides were not supposed to be regulated,” Kennedy said, arguing that the Biden administration has restricted the use of peptides over safety concerns he considers unfounded.

The FDA process has just begun, and the July meeting will be advisory only, so change is not expected to be immediate.

However, investors are already focused on what replaces GLP-1 as Hims’ growth driver, and peptides are emerging as one of the clearest candidates yet.