Martin Shkreli has never been shy about stating his opinions, and when the conversation turns to the booming world of peptide therapy, he is even less restrained than usual.
Speaking on an episode of his MTS podcast, Shkreli dismissed the growing popularity of peptides as misguided self-experimentation, arguing that many people are essentially trying to practice medicine on themselves without understanding the science behind it.
“The peptide thing is all bulls**t,” he said, describing what he sees as a trend of people diagnosing and treating themselves with stuff they barely understand. He characterized the movement as “self diagnosing, self administering medicine that you don’t know anything about,” calling it “literally the craziest thing.”
One of the main targets of his criticism was BPC‑157, widely discussed in online fitness and biohacking communities. Shkreli said he took time to research the peptide personally and came away unimpressed.
“I spent a few days on this thing,” he explained. “I took a few days out of my life, wasted 1% of my year to look at this stu*id d**g.”
His conclusion was blunt. “It’s the worst d**g ever,” he said.
Shkreli also used the discussion to emphasize how difficult d**g development really is, arguing that many critics underestimate the complexity of bringing a treatment to market.
“Nobody understands medicine unless you’ve actually made medicine successfully,” he said, pointing to his own experience getting a d**g approved by the administration.
“I got a d**g through the FDA. There are not that many. There are about 30 or 40 a year,” he added. “Unless you’ve done that, you really don’t know what it looks like.”
According to Shkreli, the public often assumes these are simple to create, when in reality the process is extraordinarily complex.
“D**gs are seemingly simplistic,” he said. “And the reality is, it’s pretty freaking difficult.”
Beyond criticizing specific peptides, Shkreli also explained why traditional pharma companies have historically been cautious about peptide-based dr**s.
“Peptides, for example, are kind of one of the lowest desired d**g classes in pharma for the longest time,” he said, pointing to their short lifespan inside the body.
According to him, many peptides break down quickly after administration, limiting their usefulness as medications.
“They’re half life, they’re generally in the minutes,” he explained.
He added that modern biotech companies sometimes modify peptides by attaching other molecules to extend their effectiveness, creating hybrid compounds designed to last longer.
Shkreli ultimately argued that the peptide boom is less about medicine and more about cultural attitudes toward the healthcare system.
“So BPC-157 is not dangerous because it’s gone within like 60 seconds,” he said. “It doesn’t have the time to do anything useful.”
But in his view, the real motivation behind the trend lies elsewhere.
“I think what this really is about isn’t about pharmacology or science,” he said. “This is about rebellion.”
Shkreli framed the rise of do-it-yourself health treatments as a reaction against traditional institutions like doctors, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“I don’t want to pay Pfizer. I don’t want to see my doctor. I don’t want to pay insurance. I don’t want to get a prescription,” he said. “I’ve got to do this myself.”
BPC-157, in recent times, has built a strong following among influential figures in health, fitness, and sports. The peptide is frequently discussed in biohacking and longevity circles, with endorsements and curiosity driven by personalities like neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, podcast host Joe Rogan, and numerous professional athletes who credit peptides with helping recovery and injury rehabilitation.
Supporters often point to anecdotal success stories and years of off-label clinical use, arguing that real-world outcomes should not be dismissed simply because large-scale randomized trials remain limited.
But Martin Shkreli has taken the opposite stance, repeatedly labeling the compound a scam and questioning both its scientific foundation and commercial viability. “BPC 157 is the biggest scam I’ve ever seen. It does absolutely nothing. There’s no redeemable value to this,” he said, arguing that the research base behind the peptide is unusually narrow and lacks independent verification.
He pointed to failed attempts to bring it through formal d**g development channels as evidence of its shortcomings, maintaining that pharma companies have already tested the idea and walked away.
“Pharma did try to develop BPC and failed,” he said, reiterating his belief that rigorous clinical trials would ultimately confirm his skepticism.
