An Australian actor and martial artist who faced off in movies against Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan was felled last year by a heart attack after doubling the dosage of peptides prescribed by his doctor, according to a coroner’s report.
The death of 75-year-old Richard Norton was “was triggered by his injection” of peptides, Melbourne-based coroner David Ryan concluded in a report filed Wednesday in the Coroners Court of Victoria.
“Richard had been taking amounts of the medication in excess of the dose prescribed by his medical practitioner.”
Two days before he died on March 30, 2025, Norton told his doctor’s nurse that “he had been administering double the prescribed dose of CJC1295 & Ipamorelin,” the report states. “The nurse advised Richard that from the following week he ought to only administer the prescribed dose.”
The death of Norton appears to be the first confirmed fatality Down Under linked to unapproved peptides, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Peptides are small proteins that have been promoted by online influencers and others as treatments for everything from faster healing and younger-looking skin to better sleep and even a longer life.
In addition to being a first-class film fighter, Norton also trained Hollywood stars like Ben Affleck, Tom Hardy, Scarlett Johansson and Margot Robbie, and previously worked as a stuntman and bodyguard for rock legends like David Bowie and Stevie Nicks.
Norton was recovering from shoulder surgery when he went to see Dr. Jerzy Muchnicki in March 11, 2025, complaining of fatigue and pain “and advised that he was interested in peptide therapy.”
He admitted to Muchnicki that he’d previously been prescribed peptides by another practitioner to treat similar symptoms.
Muchnicki reviewed Norton’s medical history and “discussed in detail what was involved with peptide therapy, including the experimental nature of the treatment,” the report states.
“They also discussed the potential risks” and Norton signed a consent form before Muchnicki prescribed the peptides, the report states.
Norton, on March 25, “consulted with Dr. Muchnicki and reported that he was feeling good and the peptide therapy was improving his symptoms,” the report states.
On March 28, however, Norton called Muchnicki’s office and told the nurse that he’d “dropped and broken a
Norton also told the nurse “he was experiencing better sleep, reduced pain and increased exercise capacity with no side effects.”
“The nurse spoke with Dr. Muchnicki over the phone who authorized the replacement,” the report states.
That evening, though, Norton’s wife Judy Green called Muchnicki’s office and reported that after administering a second dose of the peptides, her husband “complained of feeling hot and flushed and then collapsed and became unresponsive.”
Norton was rushed to a hospital and two days later he was dead.
In the report, Muchnicki was faulted for authorizing the extra dosage of peptides on March 28 “without consulting the record of a practice nurse, which documented that the patient had reported dosing the medication incorrectly.”
Muchnicki was also taken to task for not speaking directly with Norton “to confirm appropriate use or to assess for potential misuse or adverse effects.”
The doctor, according to the report, has “accepted accountability for his actions” and apologized “for his errors in judgment” and will no longer be prescribing peptides.
NBC News has emailed Muchnicki for comment
Ryan, in the report, recommended that the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which is Australia’s equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, impose tougher restrictions on the use of unapproved peptides.
In the U.S., some peptides are used in some medications approved by the FDA to treat diabetes, obesity and other health conditions.
But there is also a “grey market” that has also been flooded with products containing unapproved peptides that are promoted by online influencers and others.
On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services gave compounding pharmacies, which are pharmacies that provide medications that are not commercially available, the okay to start producing six of these much-touted peptides.
They got the green light even though the FDA’s own scientists have concluded there is insufficient data showing these particular peptides — BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, semax and TB-500 — are safe and effective.
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