A peptide from a plant's stress protein fought fungi and crossed a lab blood–brain barrier model; Four days in, the HHS peptide policy docket still shows zero public comments. Here is why that number can mislead. Updated daily.
ACS Omega published a study on 31 October 2026 on ERD-A, a lysine-rich peptide taken from a dehydrin, a stress-response protein of the lab plant Arabidopsis thaliana, plus rationally designed sequence variants. In lab tests the parent peptide showed moderate activity against the yeasts Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans; variants with more positive charge or added tryptophan reached 4-fold lower minimum inhibitory concentrations against C. neoformans, while Candidozyma auris responded poorly to all versions. A labelled form associated with about 98 to 99% of C. albicans cells after 16 hours. In an in vitro blood–brain barrier model of cocultured human brain endothelial cells and pericytes, all ERD-A peptides passed through more readily than the reference peptide opiorphin. These are cell-model results only; no animal or human testing is reported.
Regulations.gov showed 0 posted comments on docket HHS-OASH-2026-0496 when we checked on 2 November 2026, four days after HHS published its draft 503A peptide enforcement discretion policy (FR Doc. 2026-22192) on 30 October. Regulations.gov says an agency must process each comment before it appears online, which can take days or weeks, so zero posted does not mean zero received. The docket is listed as nonrulemaking, the comment period ends at 11:59 PM Eastern on 13 November 2026, and late comments are not accepted. HHS says public comments may provide additional evidence that FDA can consider in rulemaking. The policy is interim and non-binding, and it is not an FDA approval.
For research-community awareness only. Not legal advice.
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A shortened scorpion-venom peptide stopped all 12 bacterial strains in lab tests; a half-length version stopped none
Photo: Image: BioLabs Research
Nature Africa reported on 29 October 2026 on University of Pretoria work that screened 116 antimicrobial peptides reported from African wildlife and kept 46 shorter candidates. A 16-amino-acid fragment of a southern African scorpion's venom peptide inhibited all 12 bacterial strains tested and showed little toxicity to mammalian cell lines, while an 8-amino-acid version showed no detectable activity. In wax-moth larvae infected with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, 87% of treated larvae survived, against 83% with the comparison antibiotic polymyxin B. The peptide kept activity in serum but was broken down by the enzyme trypsin. The larva results come from a preprint, and these are early findings only; stability, mammalian models and safety remain untested.
Three things the new HHS peptide policy does not cover: blends, unregistered API makers and skipped adverse-event reports
Photo: Image: BioLabs Research
The HHS draft enforcement discretion policy for 503A compounding with six peptide bulk drug substances (FR Doc. 2026-22192, published 30 October 2026) applies only when all ten of its conditions are met. Under condition 7, a compounded product may contain only one active ingredient from Appendix A, so combining two or more falls outside it; HHS says this makes adverse events easier to attribute. Under conditions 3 and 4, the original manufacturer of the bulk substance, not a repacker or distributor, must be FDA-registered under section 510 and CGMP-compliant, with its facility address on the COA. Under condition 5, serious adverse events and quality issues go to FDA's MedWatch and the States. LumaLex Law noted on 29 October that missing any of these could put a compounder outside the policy. It is interim, non-binding and not an FDA approval; comments close 13 November 2026.
For research-community awareness only. Not legal advice.
