Thyroid Drugs Have Turned Into a MAHA Hot Topic
August 17th, 2025 // 10:27 pm @ jmpickett
A recent FDA warning to manufacturers of an old-line thyroid drug has ignited fierce pushback from pharmacists and wellness figures tied to the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The big issue is desiccated thyroid extracts — made from dried pig thyroid glands — which have been used for more than a century to treat hypothyroidism. While most patients today rely on FDA-approved synthetic replacements, some still use the animal-derived versions. The FDA, citing more than 500 adverse event reports between 1968 and February 2025 (with a sharp uptick around 2019–2020), told firms it would no longer tolerate sales of unapproved versions.
“FDA is committed to pursuing the first-ever approval of desiccated thyroid extract, pending ongoing clinical trials,” Commissioner Marty Makary wrote on X. He added that the agency would allow a transition period of about 12 months to shift patients to approved drugs.
The announcement set off a storm on social media. Wellness influencers aligned with Kennedy accused the FDA of bowing to industry pressure. Brigham Buhler, owner of ReviveRX and a Kennedy ally, claimed the decision benefits AbbVie — maker of synthetic thyroid treatments and a company currently running its own trials. “Is this the FDA working for Pharma again… to create another monopoly so they can raise prices like Martin Shkreli?” he said.
AbbVie, for its part, pledged to work with the FDA to ensure uninterrupted access and stressed its commitment to patients through ongoing trials. The FDA declined an interview request.
Why Is This Important?
For patients, the fight is not academic. Hypothyroidism treatments must be finely calibrated; too little leaves patients exhausted, while too much can cause dangerous side effects. Advocates like Tenille Davis of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding argue that a subset of patients simply don’t respond well to synthetic hormones. “Their blood panels may look fine, but they still feel awful — until they switch to the natural extracts,” Davis said.
Though these patients may represent a minority, she added, they are far from negligible given the widespread prevalence of hypothyroidism. “It’s happened enough times that these patients aren’t crazy,” Davis said.
