UK becoming ‘wild west’ for experimental peptides, expert warns

Steroids, previously associated with gym culture, are now more accessible and their use normalised on social media, the experts said. Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty

The UK has become a “wild west” for people peddling experimental peptides, steroids and other substances, a leading expert has said, warning action must be taken to avoid fatalities.

Prof Channa Jayasena of Imperial College London, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology and andrology at Hammersmith and St Mary’s hospitals, said he is now encountering patients “day in, day out” who are taking experimental peptides.