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Why Chinese Fentanyl Factories Are Making Peptides Now

October 7, 2026 · 17 min

The world’s biggest chemical industry is in China. For years, Chinese factories have also been a major producer of ingredients used to make fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that has contributed to thousands of deaths in the U.S. After a recent crackdown in China, WSJ’s Patricia Kowsmann reports that some of those same factories are now entering a new booming U.S. market: bootleg peptides. Imani Moise hosts.


Further Listening:

- Peptides Are Everywhere. Businesses Are Cashing In.

- How Cocaine is Flooding in Europe

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