Are Peptides Legal in New Zealand?

New Zealand regulates peptides through two overlapping statutes administered by the same agency. The Medicines Act 1981 governs the approval, classification, manufacture, sale, distribution, advertising, prescribing, and dispensing of all medicines in the country. A separate law, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, controls drugs classified into three criminal classes (A, B, C) based on harm potential. Medsafe, operating as a business unit within the Ministry of Health, administers most provisions of the Medicines Act and acts as New Zealand’s medicines and medical devices regulator.

Under the Medicines Act, no medicine can be advertised, sold, or distributed without the approval of the Minister of Health, except in limited circumstances. The Medicines Classification Committee (MCC) meets several times per year to make recommendations on scheduling. If a substance is classified as a prescription medicine, it is unlawful to import, supply, possess, or procure it without authorisation. The Misuse of Drugs Act separately classifies human growth hormone (HGH) and anabolic steroids as Class C controlled drugs, meaning possession, supply, and importation without a prescription carry criminal penalties.

All prescribers in New Zealand are also regulated under the Health Practitioner Competence Assurance Act 2003, which sets competence standards for anyone writing prescriptions for controlled or scheduled medicines.

The bottom line: New Zealand’s dual-statute system means a single peptide can be regulated under the Medicines Act (as a prescription medicine), the Misuse of Drugs Act (if it is a controlled drug like HGH), or both.

Before December 2025, many research peptides occupied a regulatory gap. Medsafe’s Investigation and Enforcement Team had been intercepting unscheduled peptides at the border, but without classification as prescription medicines, the agency had no legal grounds under the Medicines Act to seize them. Between 1 April and 19 May 2025 alone, 56 parcels containing peptides or SARMs were intercepted – a figure Medsafe cited as evidence the gap was growing.

In June 2025, Medsafe submitted a proposal to the 74th MCC meeting (held 23 July 2025) recommending ten group entries and six individual substances be classified as prescription medicines. The proposed groups were:

• Thymic peptide hormones and their analogues (thymosin alpha-1, TB-500, thymulin, thymopoietin)
• Body Protective Compound (BPC)-157 and its analogues (including NL-BPC-157 hexadecapeptide)
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone analogues (capturing Semax and Adamax)
• Pineal gland peptides and their analogues (epitalon, epithalamin)
• Anti-microbial peptides and their precursors (LL-37, CAP-18, defensins)
• Myostatin modulator peptides (GDF-8, ACE-031)
• Mitochondria-derived peptides and their analogues (MOTS-c, humanin, SHLP 1-6)
• Erythropoietin and its analogues (ARA-290)
• Tuftsin and its analogues (Selank)
• Kisspeptins

Six individual peptides were also proposed: larazotide, PTD-DBM, AICAR, B7-33, PNC-27, and SS-31 (elamipretide).

The MCC initially deferred its decision, requesting information on potential impacts to the cosmetics industry. Following consultation with professional bodies – none of which raised objections – Medsafe’s Secretariat Note confirmed the recommendation to classify. In December 2025, all ten group entries were formally scheduled as prescription medicines, closing the regulatory gap.

This was not the first wave of peptide scheduling. GLP-1 agonists were classified as a group entry at the 73rd MCC meeting (26 February 2025). BPC-157 was individually classified as a prescription medicine at the 70th MCC meeting (25 May 2023). SARMs were previously scheduled as a group entry in an earlier round, harmonising with Australia.

The bottom line: As of December 2025, virtually every research peptide being sold to personal importers – from thymosin alpha-1 to Selank to MOTS-c – is a prescription medicine in New Zealand.

Compound	Medicines Act	Misuse of Drugs Act	WADA Prohibited
BPC-157	Prescription (May 2023)	Not scheduled	Yes (S2, 2022)
TB-500 / Thymosin beta-4	Prescription (pre-2023)	Not scheduled	Yes (S2)
Thymosin alpha-1	Prescription (Dec 2025)	Not scheduled	No
Semax	Prescription (Dec 2025, ACTH group)	Not scheduled	No
Selank	Prescription (Dec 2025, tuftsin group)	Not scheduled	No
MOTS-c	Prescription (Dec 2025)	Not scheduled	No
Epitalon	Prescription (Dec 2025, pineal group)	Not scheduled	No
LL-37	Prescription (Dec 2025, AMP group)	Not scheduled	No
Semaglutide	Prescription (approved, Medsafe-evaluated)	Not scheduled	Monitoring list
HGH (Somatropin)	Prescription	Class C Controlled Drug	Yes (S2)
Melanotan II	Unscheduled (classification pending)	Not scheduled	Yes (S2)
Retatrutide	Prescription (GLP-1 group, Feb 2025)	Not scheduled	No

Peptides first came to Medsafe’s attention in 2013, triggered by an Australian Crime Commission investigation into peptide use in professional sport. At that time, the user base was overwhelmingly performance and image enhancement. Over the following decade, the peptide market diversified dramatically: Medsafe’s 2025 submission notes that compounds were being purchased for cognitive enhancement, hair growth, libido, sexual dysfunction, immune modulation, and even cancer treatment – a far broader range of therapeutic claims than the original bodybuilding niche.

The scheduling history shows a clear acceleration:

Date	MCC Meeting	Peptide Action
2013	49th MCC	SARMs and IGF group entries discussed; melanocyte-stimulating peptide entry proposed; pituitary hormones reinterpretation flagged
May 2023	70th MCC	BPC-157 individually classified as prescription medicine following border import detections
February 2025	73rd MCC	GLP-1 agonists scheduled as group entry (capturing dulaglutide, danuglipron, retatrutide, and future analogues)
July 2025	74th MCC	10 group entries and 6 individual peptides proposed; deferred pending cosmetics consultation
December 2025	Secretariat decision	All 10 group entries classified as prescription medicines following cosmetics industry consultation (no objections received)

Medsafe’s 2020 reinterpretation of the “pituitary hormones” classification entry was itself significant – it allowed certain growth hormone peptides to be treated as prescription medicines under existing scheduling, without waiting for a formal MCC reclassification. Medsafe group manager Stuart Jessamine acknowledged at the time that the reinterpretation had not been tested in court: “We are satisfied they are covered by the act, but the test of that is always a court case.” The December 2025 group entries eliminated this legal ambiguity for the compounds they cover.

Legitimate Prescriber Access

The MCC’s July 2025 discussion explicitly noted that scheduling does not prevent all access: “if there is legitimate use for any of these products patients can continue to access them, provided they obtain a prescription from a health professional.” The Medicines Amendment Act 2025 expanded which prescribers can prescribe unapproved medicines, broadening the pool beyond doctors to include nurse practitioners and pharmacist prescribers in certain circumstances (such as funded medicine shortages). For research peptides, the primary lawful pathway remains a prescription from a registered medical practitioner, who must assess whether prescribing an unapproved medicine is clinically justified for that specific patient. Medsafe has not approved any research peptide products for routine clinical use in New Zealand.

Medsafe’s 21 May 2026 consumer advisory states this unambiguously: “This wording has no legal effect and does not permit sale, supply, or use in people.” All clinical trials of new medicines in New Zealand require approval from both Medsafe and an ethics committee. Medsafe has not approved any clinical trials for research peptides in New Zealand. If a product labelled “for research purposes only” is being offered for personal use, injection, or consumption, it is being supplied unlawfully.

The advisory names specific compounds that online sellers commonly advertise: BPC-157, CJC-1295, GHRP-6, ipamorelin, kisspeptin, melanotan II, retatrutide, Selank, Semax, TB-500, and thymosin. This list is not exhaustive, and Medsafe’s enforcement position covers any peptide product supplied outside the regulated medicines system, regardless of labelling or marketing claims.

The bottom line: “Research purposes only” labelling does not create a legal pathway for personal use in New Zealand – Medsafe has been explicit that such claims are misleading.

New Zealand Customs works alongside Medsafe’s Investigation and Enforcement Team to intercept incoming peptide shipments at the border. Medsafe disclosed that between 1 April and 19 May 2025, 56 parcels were intercepted containing peptides or SARMs – a data point from its own border enforcement records, cited in the proposal that led to the December 2025 scheduling.

Prior to the December 2025 scheduling, intercepted unscheduled peptides had to be released back to the importer with a “high-risk medicine letter” because Medsafe had no grounds under the Medicines Act to seize them. This gap was a primary driver behind the group scheduling proposal. Since December 2025, Medsafe can now lawfully seize and destroy any scheduled peptide imported without a prescription.

Medsafe’s 2026 consumer advisory includes photographs of seized peptide products and instructs consumers who already possess such products not to use them, to dispose of them at a community pharmacy or drug-checking service, and to return needles to a needle-exchange service or pharmacy in an approved sharps container.

On 1 July 2024, New Zealand replaced Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) with the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui as its national anti-doping organisation. The Commission is a WADA Code signatory and can test any registered athlete in sports complying with the World Anti-Doping Code at any time, including out-of-competition. WADA’s Prohibited List applies in full, which means all peptides classified under Section S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics) are banned at all times for athletes.

This includes BPC-157 (added to the WADA Prohibited List in 2022), TB-500, HGH, and all GH secretagogues. Semaglutide is currently on WADA’s monitoring list for 2024-2025, suggesting potential future prohibition. For any athlete subject to testing in New Zealand, using any research peptide carries anti-doping violation risk in addition to criminal or regulatory risk under the Medicines Act or Misuse of Drugs Act.

Enforcement penalties in New Zealand vary significantly depending on which statute applies. Under the Medicines Act 1981, selling or supplying a prescription medicine without authorisation can result in fines and imprisonment. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 imposes harsher penalties for Class C controlled drugs: importing, manufacturing, or supplying HGH or anabolic steroids without a prescription carries criminal liability.

Offence	Statute	Maximum Penalty
Supply/sale of prescription medicine without authorisation	Medicines Act 1981	Fine and/or imprisonment
Importing prescription medicine without authorisation	Medicines Act 1981	Seizure, destruction, prosecution
Dealing/supplying Class C drug (HGH, steroids)	Misuse of Drugs Act 1975	Up to 8 years imprisonment
Possession of Class C drug for supply	Misuse of Drugs Act 1975	Up to 8 years imprisonment
Personal possession of Class C drug	Misuse of Drugs Act 1975	Up to 3 months imprisonment / NZD $500 fine
Advertising prescription medicine to public	Medicines Act 1981	Fine

Medsafe’s enforcement posture focuses primarily on supply-side activity – importers, online vendors, and distributors – rather than prosecuting individual end-users. However, the December 2025 scheduling expansion means that personal importation of research peptides that were previously unscheduled is now unlawful, and border seizures can proceed without the need to release products with warning letters.

The bottom line: New Zealand’s penalty framework concentrates on supply, but individual importers now face border seizure and destruction of products as a routine enforcement outcome.

Dimension	New Zealand	United States	Australia
Regulatory body	Medsafe	FDA	TGA
Compound-specific scheduling	Group entries (Dec 2025)	Category 1/2 system	SUSMP schedules (S4/S8/S9)
BPC-157 status	Prescription (May 2023)	Category 2	Schedule 4 (June 2024)
RUO labelling	“No legal effect” (May 2026)	Enforcement varies	Not a defence
Border enforcement	Seizure and destruction	CBP seizure	ABF seizure + TGA prosecution
Regulatory direction (2026)	Rapidly tightening	Tightening	Most restrictive globally

Medical Products Bill

The New Zealand Government confirmed in August 2025 that a Medical Products Bill will replace the Medicines Act 1981 with modern regulation. The Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in 2026 and come into full effect around 2030, with a longer transition period for medical devices. The Medicines Amendment Act 2025 has already introduced a streamlined verification pathway for medicines approval. Once the Medical Products Bill is enacted, the regulatory framework governing peptides will change fundamentally – including how scheduling decisions are made and how enforcement is structured.

MCC 75th Meeting (November 2025) and Beyond

The 75th MCC meeting was scheduled for 19 November 2025. Additional peptide scheduling or reclassification is possible at any future meeting. Melanotan II remains unscheduled in New Zealand as a classification recommendation has not yet been finalised – Medsafe noted in 2020 that “more work needed to be done” before it could be added to the schedule. Given Australia’s reclassification of Melanotan II to Schedule 9 in February 2026, harmonisation pressure may push New Zealand toward scheduling this compound.

Trans-Tasman Harmonisation

New Zealand frequently harmonises its medicines scheduling with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration. This relationship is formalised through a standing MCC agenda item that reviews Australian scheduling changes at every meeting. As Australia continues to tighten peptide regulation – most recently with BPC-157 in Schedule 4 and Melanotan II in Schedule 9 – New Zealand is likely to follow within 12 to 24 months of each Australian decision.