Australian coroner urges review of unapproved peptide drugs after actor's death
A Victorian coroner has recommended that the Therapeutic Goods Administration reassess the safety and scheduling of the peptides CJC1295 and ipamorelin following the cardiac arrest and death of actor Richard Norton.
Richard Norton, a 75-year-old stunt coordinator and martial-arts trainer, died after suffering cardiac arrest in March 2025, shortly after receiving injections of the peptides CJC1295 and ipamorelin. The substances had been prescribed by Dr Jerzy Muchnicki despite not being approved for therapeutic use in Australia.
Victorian coroner David Ryan concluded that the unapproved status of the peptides warranted a review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). In his findings, Ryan suggested that the drugs be moved from schedule 4 (prescription-only) to schedule 10, restricting them to clinical trials or experimental use.
"I am not satisfied that it is appropriate for them to be available to be prescribed by medical practitioners," Ryan said. "It is not clear to me how their safe use can be clinically indicated given the acknowledged uncertainties as to their therapeutic benefit and their risks (as yet not fully known) to the safety of patients."
According to the coroner’s report, Norton consulted Dr Muchnicki in early March about peptide therapy, acknowledging its experimental nature and potential risks. After baseline blood tests and signing an informed-consent form, Norton received his first dose on 19 March. He reported feeling better a week later, but on 28 March disclosed to a nurse that he had been administering double the prescribed dose. The nurse advised him to revert to the prescribed amount.
Hours after injecting the peptides again, Norton experienced a sudden rise in temperature and became unresponsive, dying at Alfred Hospital on 30 March.
The Medical Board of Australia investigated Dr Muchnicki and found insufficient evidence of safety or efficacy for CJC1295 and ipamorelin. The board described the doctor’s clinical notes as “sparse, inadequate and perfunctory” and required him to complete additional training in record-keeping, though no formal regulatory sanction was imposed.
The TGA has previously warned consumers about the dangers of importing and using unapproved peptides, which are often marketed online for weight loss, muscle growth, anti-ageing and performance enhancement.