A martial artist who faced Chuck Norris on screen and guarded David Bowie died about two weeks after starting a course of prescribed injections.
Victorian coroner David Ryan has found that Richard Norton, the Australian actor, stuntman and fight coordinator, died after injecting an excess dose of unapproved peptides his doctor had prescribed. Norton, 75, died at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on March 30, 2025. Ryan’s findings were handed down Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in the Coroners Court of Victoria and were reported widely on Oct. 30.
“I am satisfied that Richard’s death was triggered by his injection of the peptide CJC1295/Ipamorelin,” Ryan wrote. The injection set off an anaphylactic reaction, which led to cardiac arrest, and Norton had been taking amounts beyond the dose his doctor prescribed.
His death is believed to be the first in Australia linked to unapproved peptide use.
A Broken Vial and Double Doses
Norton approached Dr. Jerzy Muchnicki in March 2025, interested in peptide therapy to deal with fatigue, shoulder pain and loss of muscle. He had undergone bilateral shoulder reconstruction and was recovering from surgery. The two discussed what the treatment involved, including its experimental nature, the potential risks and the absence of any option approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Norton told the doctor another practitioner had prescribed him peptides before, and that they had worked.
Blood tests were taken to establish his baseline health and check for contraindications. He signed an informed consent form setting out the treatment, its benefits and its risks, anaphylaxis among them.
The prescription for CJC-1295 and ipamorelin was written on March 19, 2025. A week later, Norton told his care team the therapy was working. On March 28, 2025, Norton admitted to a nurse that he had been injecting twice his prescribed dose, and she told him to go back to the prescribed amount starting the next week. He had asked for a replacement vial after saying he broke the original, admitting he had been doubling up on injections. He was given the replacement and two additional peptides.
That evening, after injecting another dose, Norton complained of feeling hot and flushed, then collapsed and became unresponsive in front of his wife, Judy Green, who called for help and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He went into cardiac arrest and died in hospital two days later.
A Push to Limit Them to Trials
Ryan recommended that the TGA review the therapeutic benefits and safety risks of peptides such as CJC-1295 and ipamorelin and weigh further restrictions on their use. He suggested shifting them from schedule 4, which covers prescription-only medicines, to schedule 10, which would confine them to clinical trials and other experimental settings.
The coroner wrote that he did not consider it appropriate for doctors to be able to prescribe the peptides at all.
The products Norton had in his possession — CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, BPC157 and Thymosin B4/TB-500 — are not listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Health-related products must be on that register before they can be made, supplied or exported in Australia; anything absent from it is classed as unapproved and has not been evaluated for quality, safety or efficacy. The TGA has recorded six other instances of anaphylaxis or hypersensitivity in patients using those peptides, three of them anaphylaxis cases involving CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, not counting Norton.
Between July 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2026, hospital emergency departments in New South Wales recorded 1,180 visits tied to peptides. Online stores sell injectable vials for $300 to $600 each, and longevity and wellness clinics charge membership fees running to thousands of dollars a month.
The Expert Who Read His Notes
Muchnicki was investigated by the Medical Board of Australia. An independent expert engaged by the board found there was insufficient evidence that either peptide is safe, effective or beneficial for human use, and judged the doctor’s clinical notes well below the standard expected. The board stopped short of regulatory action, instead ordering him to undergo one-on-one training in keeping and managing clinical records.
Muchnicki acknowledged the criticism and accepted responsibility, voicing regret over what Norton and his family went through. He committed not to prescribe peptides unless robust clinical evidence supports it. Guidance from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency tells doctors to prescribe off-label, unapproved or compounded medicines only where there is sufficient evidence, a clear indication, or where other treatments have failed or are inappropriate.
He Guarded Bowie and Trained Robbie
Norton appeared in more than 70 films, and his credits include “The Octagon,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “The Suicide Squad.” He worked with or trained Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Liam Neeson and Tom Hardy, taught martial arts and worked as a bodyguard for music figures including David Bowie.
He attended the Los Angeles premiere of his film “Black Creek” on Oct. 9, 2024. Photos taken days before his death showed him looking fit and healthy, Page Six reported.