A coroner has called for a review of unapproved peptides in Australia following the death of veteran film industry figure Richard Norton, a finding that could lead to tougher restrictions on the substances.
Norton, 75, was an experienced fight choreographer, stuntman and martial artist. He went into cardiac arrest in March 2025 after injecting a prescribed but unapproved peptide. He had worked alongside stars such as Chuck Norris and served as a bodyguard for music legends including David Bowie, and tributes poured in after his death.
Victorian coroner David Ryan found that Norton suffered the cardiac arrest after injecting the unapproved products CJC1295 and ipamorelin, which a doctor had prescribed to him. In findings handed down on Wednesday, Ryan recommended that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) review the therapeutic benefits and safety risks of the peptides. He said the review should consider moving them from schedule 4, prescription-only drugs, to schedule 10, which would allow their use only in clinical trials or other experimental settings.
"I am not satisfied that it is appropriate for them to be available to be prescribed by medical practitioners," the coroner said. He added that it was not clear to him how their safe use could 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 report, Norton approached Dr Jerzy Muchnicki in March 2025 to express interest in peptide therapy. The two discussed in detail what it involved, including its experimental nature, the potential risks and the absence of other treatments currently approved by the TGA. Norton had previously been prescribed peptides by another practitioner for fatigue, shoulder pain and loss of muscle mass. Blood tests were carried out to confirm baseline health and check for contraindications, and Norton signed an informed consent form outlining the treatment, benefits and risks, including anaphylaxis.
Norton was prescribed CJC1295 and ipamorelin injections on 19 March. A week later he reported that he was "feeling good and the peptide therapy was improving his symptoms". On 28 March he told a nurse he had been administering double the prescribed doses. The nurse advised him to use only the prescribed dose from the following week. The report says the doctor also prescribed two additional peptides to further improve function and reduce pain.
Hours later, after injecting CJC1295 and ipamorelin, Norton felt hot and flushed before becoming unresponsive. He died at the Alfred hospital on 30 March 2025.
Muchnicki was investigated by the Medical Board of Australia. Its independent expert found there was "insufficient evidence that CJC1295 or Ipamorelin is safe, effective or beneficial for human use" and described the doctor's notes as "sparse, inadequate and perfunctory" and substantially below the expected standard. The board said Muchnicki accepted the criticisms, took accountability and expressed sorrow for the impact on Norton and his family. He also committed not to prescribe peptides unless supported by robust clinical evidence. The board decided regulatory action was not warranted, but required him to complete one-on-one training in clinical record keeping and management.
The TGA has warned consumers about the risks of importing and using unapproved peptides promoted online. Peptides are often marketed for weight loss, muscle growth, anti-ageing, recovery and performance enhancement.
