‘Serious adverse effects’: Chilling warning over black market peptides
Health experts in NSW are urging people not to use unapproved peptides sold on the black market after thousands of people presented to emergency departments due to peptide use.
A report from NSW Health found 1180 people in the state had gone to an emergency department between July 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.
More people are presenting to emergency departments after using peptides. Dion Georgopoulos / Australian Financial Review
There were only five cases in July 2025, but over 217 last month.
About 18 per cent of these visits required hospitalisation, the data said.
The sudden rise has been partly fuelled by social media influencers who are promoting peptides that are not approved for use in Australia, NSW Health said.
These influencers may falsely claim the product will help people achieve weight loss, reverse ageing or promote injury repair.
NSW Health said these peptides could be sold on the black market via informal or overseas websites, or on social media.
Speaking on Today Extra, psychiatrist Dr Kieran Kennedy said the age of people presenting with symptoms resulting from peptide use was concerning.
Psychiatrist Dr Kieran Kennedy said symptoms could arise from the specific peptides, or from how they are injected into the human body. Today Extra
“A quarter of these people are aged 16-24. A lot of these individuals are really young, they are purchasing products over the grey [and] black market,” he said.
He said people had symptoms like severe nausea, vomiting and dehydration, but said there were also instances of people suffering from liver toxicity as a result of peptide use.
These peptides are often injected into the bloodstream, but their unofficial nature means there are often no instructions or advice on how to safely administer the peptides, which can cause health issues of its own, Kennedy said.
“If the product is not being injected with sterile technique, but also if the product in the vial itself is not sterile, or it doesn't have what it's said on the label, that is going to cause significant damage or risk of infection to the skin and the body as a whole,” he warned.
NSW health minister Ryan Park said these hospital visits added pressure to the health system. 9News
“There are even instances of peptides being sold as powders to then be mixed with water or liquid at home.”
The data released by NSW Health said the breakdown of men and women visiting the emergency department after peptide use is close to even, with 51 per cent of cases being men.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the admissions were putting more pressure on the emergency department system in NSW.
“It's particularly alarming to see the growing pressure they're placing on our health system,” he said.
“Even when a product looks professional or comes in convincing packaging, that does not guarantee it is safe for use.”
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