April 20, 2026

From podcasters to the people

Peptides—short amino acid chains that function as biological signals, marketed to consumers as precision tools for the body's repair systems—have long circulated in fitness and longevity communities despite murky legal status and questions around lack of clinical evidence. Now, the “gray market” of peptide access is in the spotlight: after HHS Secretary RFK Jr. flagged his support on a podcast in February, the FDA announced plans for a July advisory convening to weigh reclassification of seven restricted Category 2 peptides—a move that would allow compounding pharmacies to produce them.

Digital health companies have jumped to meet the demand. Hims & Hers acquired a California peptide facility early last year and is now expanding its product line. Noom, meanwhile, acquired Tailor Made Compounding, a licensed 503A pharmacy, to expand into peptides and hormonal health verticals. And just last week, Protocole emerged from stealth with $6M to build physician-supervised peptide protocols, Ultralight raised $9.3M to build an AI-native EHR for functional and longevity practices, and Superpower launched early access to their peptide platform. While the regulatory reckoning plays out, the longevity movement is building for scaled distribution.

One in three consumers now use AI chatbots for health questions. This Wednesday, April 22, Rock Health Advisory is hosting a webinar to unpack what this shift means for enterprises, in conversation with leaders from Ochsner Health, United States of Care, and b.well Connected Health. We’ll share additional data on who the AI health consumer is today and what happens after the AI query, plus practical guidance on what it takes to build the always-on experiences consumers now expect. To join us this week, register here.

Headlines

Trump Taps Former Public Health Leader Erica Schwartz To Run CDC
Schwartz would be CDC’s second full-time director this term STAT

CMS Greenlights More Than 150 Participants For The Access Model
Tech-enabled chronic care model launches in July STAT

Open AI Launches New AI Model For Life Sciences Research
+ Strikes deal with Novo Nordisk for AI drug discovery Axios

CMS Proposes New Deadlines For Prior Authorizations For Drugs
Medicaid and CHIP would have 24 hours to act on PA requests Healthcare Dive

Vida Health Teams Up With Oura
Partnership aims to use wearable ring data to personalize metabolic care MedCityNews

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Recent Funding

Joyful Health secures $17M for its AI-powered revenue cycle management platform
Keebler Health lands $16M to scale its risk adjustment software for value-based care
Ultralight raises $9.3M for its AI-native operating system for longevity practices
FDA-cleared wearable device for bone density Osteoboost Health locks down $8M
Protocole nabs $6M to build its longevity telemedicine and peptide platform
Worki seeds $2.75M for its AI-enabled administrative operations and workforce solution