Victoria Song

Oh boy. This move refers to BPC-157, TB-500, Mots-C, KPV, epitalon, and semax. A document outlining the decision indicates that this seems to be the Health Secretary’s call, even though FDA scientists advised against it in July. This broadens access, but still requires a patient-specific prescription and adverse reporting. [Link: Kennedy to Allow Broad Use of Unapproved Peptide Injections | https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/health/peptides-kennedy-fda.html | nytimes.com]

Following You Can See Everything, there are some concerning signs that Haemanthus, aka Theranos 2.0, is following the same playbook.

The $180 Fitbit Edge is a sleek return to the days of simpler fitness tracking bands. All the basics, but not much more.

In this week’s Optimizer, we look at why health tech companies are partnering with labs to analyze your blood — and what consumers get from that exchange.

The new Alexa and Amazon integrations require a subscription. Plus, a magnetic version for your phone is coming ‘soon.’

This week’s Optimizer delves into the concept of digital twins, a virtual version of a patient that can potentially help clinicians model medical treatments.

The $349 Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses can’t record video and are a decent pair of open-ear headphones. But they don’t solve the privacy problem.

The highly leaked $179.99 Fitbit Edge is now official. The middle-of-the-road tracker keeps the Air’s simple design but adds some of the Pixel Watch’s smarts.

So says The Washington Post. I’ve been writing about gray-market peptides in Optimizer, but this is a follow-up to July’s FDA hearings about whether compounding pharmacies should be allowed to sell unapproved peptides. It’s unclear which ones, and the timing could change, but the Post says this might give the administration a “political upside.” [Link: Trump administration paving way for temporary sale of some unapproved peptides | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/10/07/trump-administr

This week on Optimizer, a preprint study on real-world BPC-157 usage raises more questions than it can answer.

AI hardware companies are pushing forward a new definition for recording devices. But should they be allowed to without societal consensus?

This week in Optimizer, we discuss the dark side of AI agents adopting a cute, adorable mascot.

The Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses are $349 smart glasses without the camera. Muse is also coming to all of Meta’s glasses.

The Verge is on the ground at Meta’s Connect keynote, which will feature CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Follow along with our coverage live.

Peloton has announced a trio of new treadmills, including a new entry-level Tread Flex that folds for easier storage.

Under Mark Zuckerberg, Meta has built a sprawling empire of AI, smart glasses, and social media. Is it enough to overcome lawsuits, privacy concerns, and its lagging position in the AI race?

The Apple Watch Series 12 adds two important hardware updates that spell out an ambitious plan for AI health and ambient sensing features.

In this week’s Optimizer, we break down when a ‘health age’ feature is helpful and when you should fully ignore it.

This week’s Optimizer delves into how new standards of masculinity incentivize men to turn themselves into science xperiments.

Apple’s latest watches come with some new Siri AI features and the return of ceramic cases.