What happened in this episode?
Julian Dorey interviews physician Dr Bakri about peptides, circadian biology and the fast-growing consumer market for injectable compounds. The conversation begins with sunlight exposure, vitamin D and the guest’s broader argument that modern indoor life and blue-light exposure disrupt hormonal rhythms linked to sleep, libido and stress hormones. They discuss PT-141 (bremelanotide), which Dr Bakri describes as FDA-approved for hypoactive sexual desire disorder, alongside anecdotes about dosing effects and side-effects.
A major section focuses on Soviet- and Russian-origin peptide research. Dr Bakri names Vladimir Khavinson and claims—without offering evidence—that Vladimir Putin was “known for years” to receive drugs from the researcher. He also says the Ukraine war shut down the factory producing Thymalin, a Russian-approved peptide drug he associates with Soviet military and space programmes, affecting access for his practice.
On regulation and safety, Dr Bakri warns that “natural” peptides can still be dangerous at the wrong dose, criticises what he calls “scammy” incentives in some longevity clinics, and describes an online “research use only” loophole for direct-to-consumer peptide sales. He estimates—again without presenting data—that $10–$20bn worth of research-grade peptides may have been sold in the past year.
Separately, Dorey says his show publicly stopped running gambling adverts, after reflecting on addiction risks for listeners, during a discussion that links blue-enriched lighting to reduced loss aversion in a small study.
