Most of what people take has no approval anywhere
Three words that get mixed up constantly
Approved
A regulator reviewed the evidence and cleared the drug for a specific use, in a specific form, at a specific dose. Approval for one use is not approval for another, and approval abroad is not approval here.
Compoundable
A pharmacy is permitted to prepare it. That permission rests on lists and reviews rather than on a full approval, and a compound can be legally prepared while never having been approved for anything.
Not banned
The weakest of the three, and the one most often reported as good news. A substance coming off a review list means the review stopped, and it says nothing about whether the thing works or is safe.
In April 2026 twelve peptides came off one of the FDA's review categories because the people who had nominated them withdrew the nominations. That was widely written up as a step toward approval. It was the review ending, and nothing was decided about any of them.
On the WADA Prohibited List
41 compounds in the library are named on the current WADA Prohibited List, in force January 1, 2026.
| Compound | Section | Status | Specified or Non-Specified |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | S0 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| EPO (Erythropoietin) | S2.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Gonadorelin (GnRH) | S2.2.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) | S2.2.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Kisspeptin | S2.2.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Triptorelin | S2.2.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| AOD-9604 | S2.2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| HGH (Somatropin) | S2.2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| HGH Fragment 176-191 | S2.2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| GHRP-1 | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| GHRP-2 | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| GHRP-3 | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| GHRP-4 | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| GHRP-6 | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Hexarelin | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Ipamorelin | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Macimorelin (Macrilen) | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Sermorelin | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Tesamorelin | S2.2.4 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| IGF-1 DES | S2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| IGF-1 LR3 | S2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| MGF (Mechano Growth Factor) | S2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| PEG-MGF | S2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| TB-500 / Thymosin Beta-4 | S2.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Anastrozole | S4.1 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| Letrozole | S4.1 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| Clomiphene | S4.2 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| Enclomiphene | S4.2 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| Tamoxifen | S4.2 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| ACE-031 (Ramatercept) | S4.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Apitegromab | S4.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Bimagrumab | S4.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Follistatin (FST-344) | S4.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Trevogrumab | S4.3 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| AICAR | S4.4.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| MOTS-c | S4.4.1 | Prohibited at all times | Non-Specified |
| Desmopressin (DDAVP) | S5 | Prohibited at all times | Specified |
| Tesofensine | S6 | Prohibited in competition |
Prohibited at all times means in and out of competition. A Specified Substance is one WADA treats as more likely to have a non-doping explanation; it changes the sanction, not the ban.
FDA bulk drug substance categories for compounding
Under section 503A the FDA has sorted 6 compounds in the library into Category 1, 2 into Category 2 and 5 into Category 3, as of May 14, 2026. Under 503B: 7, 4, 2.
Category 1
- Enclomiphene
- GHK (copper-free) (except injectable routes)
- GHK-Cu (except injectable routes)
- Glutathione
- NAD+
- VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide)
- Anastrozole
- GHRP-2 (except injectable and nasal routes)
- Glutathione
- Gonadorelin (GnRH)
- NAD+
- Oxytocin
- Sermorelin
Category 2
- GHRP-2 (injectable and nasal routes)
- GHRP-6
- Ipamorelin
- MK-677 (Ibutamoren)
Category 3
Nominated and withdrawn
- AOD-9604 (category 2)
- BPC-157 (category 2)
- CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) (category 2)
- CJC-1295 with DAC (category 2)
- Dihexa (category 2)
- DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) (category 2)
- Epitalon (category 2)
- GHK-Cu (category 2)
- Ipamorelin
- KPV (category 2)
- LL-37 (category 2)
- Melanotan II (category 2)
- MOTS-c (category 2)
- PEG-MGF (category 2)
- Selank (category 2)
- Semax (category 2)
- TB-500 / Thymosin Beta-4 (category 2)
- Thymosin Alpha-1 (category 2)
Category 1 means the FDA has not identified a significant safety risk and the substance may be used in compounding while the list is finalised. Category 2 means the FDA has identified significant safety risks. Category 3 means the nomination lacked enough supporting information to evaluate.
A category is about compounding pharmacies. It is not an approval and it does not make a research-vendor vial legal.
Enforcement actions that name a compound
3 enforcement documents (warning letters, import alerts) name 12 compounds in the library. Latest: FDA, August 24, 2026.
| Date | Issuer | Document | Compounds named | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 24, 2026 | FDA | Warning letter to Royal Peptides LLC, MARCS-CMS 734884, August 24, 2026: unapproved new drugs, misbranded | PT-141 (Bremelanotide), Retatrutide, Semaglutide, SS-31 (Elamipretide), Tesamorelin, Tesamorelin + Ipamorelin blend and 1 more | Vendor product named as an unapproved new drug (Royal Peptides, August 2026) |
| June 17, 2026 | FDA | Warning letter to Wholesale Peptide, MARCS-CMS 729447, June 17, 2026: unapproved new drugs | Gonadorelin (GnRH), Prostamax | Vendor product named as an unapproved new drug (Wholesale Peptide, June 2026) |
| May 19, 2026 | FDA | Import Alert 66-41: Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted in the U.S., revised May 19, 2026 | Melanotan I (Afamelanotide), Melanotan II, Triptorelin | Shipments can be detained at the US border as an unapproved drug |
A warning letter is about a specific seller's product on a specific date. It does not mean the compound itself is banned, and it does not say anything about other sellers.
Every regulator document, by date
Is BPC-157 legal?
Owning it is not the issue. Selling it as a supplement or a drug is, and pharmacies are not currently permitted to compound it. It has never been approved for any use in any country. Its listing status has moved more than once, so check its row for the current position and the date.
Does an advisory committee vote mean something got approved?
No. An advisory committee recommends. The recommendation is not binding, it usually concerns whether pharmacies may compound something rather than whether it may be sold as a drug, and a formal rulemaking process follows that takes months.
Why do so many rows say research only?
Because that is what the evidence supports. Most of the compounds here have no approval anywhere and are sold labeled for laboratory use. That label is a legal position rather than a description of how people are actually using them.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a plain-language summary of published regulatory documents with links to them. Rules differ by country and by state, they change, and we are not lawyers.
A row is out of date. Can I tell you?
Please do. Use the report an error link in the footer. Corrections with a primary source attached get made the same week.
Which peptides are banned by WADA?
ACE-031 (Ramatercept), AICAR, Anastrozole, AOD-9604, Apitegromab, Bimagrumab, BPC-157, CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29), CJC-1295 with DAC, Clomiphene, Desmopressin (DDAVP), Enclomiphene, EPO (Erythropoietin), Follistatin (FST-344), GHRP-1, GHRP-2, GHRP-3, GHRP-4, GHRP-6, Gonadorelin (GnRH), HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), Hexarelin, HGH (Somatropin), HGH Fragment 176-191, IGF-1 DES, IGF-1 LR3, Ipamorelin, Kisspeptin, Letrozole, Macimorelin (Macrilen), MGF (Mechano Growth Factor), MK-677 (Ibutamoren), MOTS-c, PEG-MGF, Sermorelin, Tamoxifen, TB-500 / Thymosin Beta-4, Tesamorelin, Tesofensine, Trevogrumab and 1 more in the table above.
Is BPC-157 banned by WADA?
Yes. Banned in sport at all times; WADA names BPC-157 under S0, non-approved substances.
Which peptides are FDA Category 2?
Under 503A: Kisspeptin and MK-677 (Ibutamoren). Under 503B: GHRP-2 (injectable and nasal routes), GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and MK-677 (Ibutamoren).
Does an FDA warning letter mean a peptide is illegal?
No. A warning letter is addressed to one seller about one product. It says that seller is marketing an unapproved drug. It does not change the compound's status and it says nothing about other sellers.
Is a compounding category the same as approval?
No. The categories decide what pharmacies may compound. Approval is a separate process and only the compounds marked FDA-approved in the table above have it.