"Mad Max" actor Richard Norton’s death linked to peptide injection, coroner finds
Australian actor and martial artist Richard Norton died after an injection of unapproved peptides triggered a severe allergic reaction and cardiac arrest, a coroner has found, Qazinform News Agency reports.
In findings dated Oct. 28, Coroner David Ryan linked the death to CJC1295/ipamorelin. Norton, 75, died at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital on March 30, 2025.
The treatment had been prescribed by a doctor. Two days before his death, Norton told a nurse he had been taking double the prescribed dose.
He collapsed after an injection that evening. The coroner identified asthma and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as contributing factors.
“The injection caused an anaphylactic reaction which in turn led to cardiac arrest,” Ryan wrote.
Ryan recommended that Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration review the benefits and safety risks of such peptides and consider tighter restrictions.
The TGA says peptide products are increasingly promoted online for weight loss, muscle growth, anti-aging and recovery. While some are approved for use in Australia, many marketed online have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness.
For unapproved products, the regulator says there is no assurance that they are correctly labeled, sterile or manufactured to appropriate standards.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had issued a draft policy easing restrictions on the compounding of six unapproved peptides under specified conditions, despite FDA safety concerns. The policy does not constitute FDA approval of the substances or establish their safety and effectiveness.