Is Adiponectin legal in Canada?

The fat hormone that falls as fat mass rises, and the source of a large observational literature. It has never been given to a human, Mendelian randomisation in up to 80,000 people does not support the idea that low adiponectin causes insulin resistance or diabetes, and in older adults higher levels predict higher mortality.

Adiponectin is a 226 amino acid protein secreted by fat cells that circulates at unusually high concentrations as trimers, hexamers and high molecular weight multimers. Unlike almost every other adipokine, its level falls as fat mass rises, and low adiponectin is strongly correlated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in cross-sectional and cohort studies.

Mechanism: Established in mice and in vitro: adiponectin binds AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, seven-transmembrane receptors with the opposite orientation to G protein-coupled receptors, and T-cadherin. AdipoR1 signals mainly through AMPK and AdipoR2 through PPAR-alpha, increasing fatty acid oxidation in muscle and liver and improving insulin sensitivity; the high molecular weight multimer is the form most often reported as active.

Regulatory history: Not FDA-approved. No adiponectin product and no adiponectin receptor agonist is approved or has entered registered human trials. AdipoRon has no human data.

Authorises drugs for sale through a Notice of Compliance and Drug Identification Number. A compound that is not authorised for sale cannot lawfully be sold for human use, and personal importation of prescription drugs is limited.

The classification above is the The Longevity Archive reading of Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch listings for Adiponectin at the reviewed date, not a legal opinion. Rules change, and importing, prescribing and possessing a compound can each be treated differently. Check the regulator directly before acting on anything here.