Doha, Qatar: The Pharmacy and Drug Control Department in the Ministry of Public Health has issued a circular banning the handling, distribution, use and promotion of unlicensed peptides.
In a statement, the Department remarked that it has observed an increase in the promotion, handling and distribution of a number of unlicensed peptides, including BPC-157, Retatrutide, MOTS-c and others.
These are marketed in various pharmaceutical forms, including preparations intended for injection, and are promoted with therapeutic, cosmetic or performance-enhancement claims, without a regulatory authorisation permitting their use.
The Ministry further emphasised that the preparations referred to above are not medicinal products licensed by the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department in the State of Qatar for medical use in humans while some of them remain at the research or clinical study stages or have not obtained regulatory approvals to market them for the uses for which they are promoted.
It further noted that the safety and efficacy of these preparations for the promoted uses have not been established to a degree that would justify granting them regulatory authorisation, and their use may entail health risks that could affect patient safety.
Also, the importation, manufacturing, preparation, trading, prescribing, dispensing, injecting, use, advertising or promotion of any peptide preparation not licensed by the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department is prohibited in any form or by any means, including social media and electronic platforms.
The prohibition also covers preparations marketed under designations such as “for research purposes” or “not for human use” whenever they are used or promoted for human use.
The Pharmacy and Drug Control Department will take all necessary control, regulatory and legal measures against violators.
The Pharmacy and Drug Control Department therefore called upon all entities, healthcare facilities, healthcare practitioners and individuals to comply fully with the provisions of the directive, to ensure the safety of individuals and public health.
