Are peptides legal? Status in the US and Canada
It depends on the peptide. Of the 45 on this site, 8 are FDA-approved medicines in the US and 5 are authorized by Health Canada, all by prescription. The rest are not approved in either country, which means no regulator has reviewed a product for people to use.
The short answer
"Peptide" is a kind of molecule, not a legal category. Insulin and semaglutide are peptides and are approved medicines. Many others sold online have never been approved anywhere.
So the question has to be asked one peptide at a time. In the US this is how the 45 on this site break down: [1]
- Not approved: 33
- Approved, prescription: 5
- Approved for one use: 3
- Not approved, in trials: 2
- No longer sold: 2
Status of each peptide in the US and Canada
Each name links to its dosage page, which has the full wording, the date it was checked and the source. [1] [2]
| Peptide | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Amino-1MQ | Not approved | Not authorized |
| AOD-9604 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| ARA-290 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| BPC-157 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Cagrilintide | Not approved, in trials | Not authorized |
| Cardiogen | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Cartalax | Not approved | Not authorized |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | Not approved | Not authorized |
| CJC-1295 without DAC | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Cortagen | Not approved | Not authorized |
| DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Epitalon | Not approved | Not authorized |
| GHK-Cu | Not approved | Not authorized |
| GHRP-2 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| GHRP-6 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Gonadorelin | No longer sold | No longer sold |
| HCG | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription |
| HGH | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription |
| HGH Fragment 176-191 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| HMG | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription |
| IGF-1 LR3 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Ipamorelin | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Kisspeptin-10 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| KPV | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Livagen | Not approved | Not authorized |
| LL-37 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Melanotan II | Not approved | Not authorized |
| MGF | Not approved | Not authorized |
| MOTS-c | Not approved | Not authorized |
| NAD+ | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Pinealon | Not approved | Not authorized |
| PT-141 (bremelanotide) | Approved for one use | Not authorized |
| Retatrutide | Not approved, in trials | Not authorized |
| Selank | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Semaglutide | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription |
| Semax | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Sermorelin | No longer sold | Not authorized |
| SLU-PP-332 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| SS-31 (elamipretide) | Approved for one use | Not authorized |
| TB-500 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Tesamorelin | Approved for one use | No longer sold |
| Testagen | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Thymosin Alpha-1 | Not approved | Not authorized |
| Tirzepatide | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription |
| Vilon | Not approved | Not authorized |
What the labels in the table mean
- Approved or authorized, prescription. A regulator has reviewed a product and it can be prescribed. The approval is for a stated use and dose.
- Approved for one use. There is an approved product, but for one condition. Other uses are off-label.
- Not approved, in trials. It is being tested in people but no product has been approved.
- No longer sold. A product was approved once and has been withdrawn or is not marketed.
- Not approved or not authorized. No product has been reviewed. Nobody has checked what is in a vial sold under that name.
Authorized, prescription means Health Canada's Drug Product Database lists at least one marketed product that contains the peptide. It is a prescription medicine, and its dose is on the product monograph.
Not authorized means no marketed product was found in that database on the date shown. It says nothing more than that. It is not a statement about whether a substance is safe, and it is not legal advice about buying, importing or possessing it.
No longer sold means a product was once authorized and the database now lists it as cancelled or dormant.
Status changes. Each row links to the record that was opened, so it can be checked again.
What this page does not cover
This page reports approval status from the two regulators' own databases. It is not legal advice. Rules on buying, importing, compounding and sport are separate questions with their own answers, and they change. For anything that turns on the law, ask a lawyer or the regulator.
Questions
Are peptides legal in the US?
Some are. 8 of the 45 peptides on this site are FDA-approved prescription medicines. The others are not approved for human use.
Are peptides legal in Canada?
5 of the 45 peptides on this site are authorized by Health Canada, by prescription. The others are not authorized.
What does "not approved" mean?
No regulator has reviewed a product containing it for safety, strength or purity. It does not mean the substance has been tested and failed.
Is an approved peptide legal to use without a prescription?
No. The approved peptides on this site are prescription medicines in both countries.
Where does the status on each page come from?
The US status is checked against Drugs@FDA and the Canadian status against Health Canada's Drug Product Database. Each page shows the date it was checked.
Sources
- Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs. US Food and Drug Administration. accessdata.fda.gov.
- Drug Product Database. Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
Related
Peptide calculatorPeptide dosage chartDosages A to ZAll guides
DosageFacts is an information site. It is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed professional before using any medication.