The Peptide Puzzle: Regulatory Gray Zones and Emerging Enforcement
| Monday, October 5, 2026 |
| 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Zlotnik Ballroom |
Overview
Peptides are everywhere — in compounding pharmacies, med spas, concierge practices, and direct-to-consumer wellness platforms. Yet many health care providers and their counsel remain uncertain about what peptides actually are, whether they are lawful, and how regulators are beginning to close in.
This session provides a practical roadmap for health law practitioners advising clients in this rapidly evolving space. We will start with the science — what peptides are, how they differ from traditional pharmaceuticals and biologics, and why they have become a focal point of the wellness and anti-aging industries. From there, we walk through the most common peptides in clinical use, including BPC-157, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, and the ways they are prescribed, compounded, and marketed.
The session then turns to the regulatory framework: how FDA, DEA, and state medical and pharmacy boards assert jurisdiction, with particular attention to compounding and the 503A/503B landscape. A candid look at recent FDA warning letters, DEA actions, state board investigations, and civil litigation will help attendees anticipate where enforcement is headed.
The presentation concludes with practical risk management strategies counsel can deploy when advising physicians, compounders, med spas, and health systems.
Whether your clients are already in the peptide space or you are fielding new inquiries, you will leave with a framework to analyze each situation and a checklist of issues to raise.
Wade Emmert
Partner
Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.l.p.
Speaker
Wade Emmert is a Partner and Health Care Practice Group Leader at Carrington Coleman in Dallas, representing health care providers in regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters. Board Certified in Health Law, he holds CIPP/US and AIGP certifications, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M School of Law.
Samuel E. Pondrom is a Partner at ByrdAdatto in Dallas, where he partners with clients on complex business and health care regulatory issues. A former accountant and past President of the Texas Health Lawyers Association, Sam lectures nationally on the business of medicine and teaches CLE on health care law.
Samuel Pondrom
Partner
ByrdAdatto
Speaker
After graduating from Oklahoma State, an intrinsic sense of curiosity and a keen eye for details led Sam Pondrom to work as an accountant for two Engineering-News Record top 40 construction firms. It was here where he honed his ability to analyze complex problems and craft clear, concise answers. Utilizing these skills, Sam works in partnership with clients addressing their complex business and health care regulatory issues in the most simple, straightforward way.
Sam lectures to doctors and other providers throughout the country at medical conferences on a myriad of issues dealing with the business of medicine. Sam also regularly teaches and trains other attorneys in both accredited and non-accredited continuing education courses on health care law.
Outside of the office, Sam enjoys cooking, playing basketball, running, watching Oklahoma State football and Dallas Mavericks basketball, traveling, and trying new restaurants. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends.