Legal status · Canada
Is AICAR legal in Canada?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
No. AICAR is not an approved medicine in Canada. Its legal category is "Not authorized for sale". Nothing that contains it is allowed for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" get no exception: that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 1 completed human trial is cited on its profile.
- People given it
- 3,080
- Found nothing
- 0
Legal category
Not authorized for sale
Banned in sport, in and out of competition, since 2009 (WADA S4.5)
Reviewed Sep 2026. This is a legal category, not legal advice.
A "research use only" label on a vial does not make it legal to use on people.
AICAR in Canada at a glance
| Legal category | Not authorized for sale |
|---|---|
| Note | Banned in sport, in and out of competition, since 2009 (WADA S4.5) |
| Health Canada approval status | Not approved by Health Canada |
| Studies in people | 1 of 2 sources on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
The legal category and note come from the AICAR profile. We checked them against Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch (Health Canada) listings on the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
No product containing AICAR is approved by Health Canada for any use in Canada. So nothing on sale is allowed for use in people.
- 02
"Research use only" is a label sellers put on. It is not a legal category that allows use in people, and it does not get a product out of medicines law.
- 03
Importing it, supplying it or promoting it for use in people can fall under medicines law in Canada. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What AICAR is
AICAR was the first exercise in a pill, from a 2008 mouse paper. It switches on AMPK, and it has been banned in sport since 2009. Human programs in heart surgery and leukemia never produced an approved drug. The doses that worked in animals are far too big to use in people.
Inside cells, AICAR turns into a molecule that switches on AMPK, the cell's fuel sensor. The biggest human trial, in 3,080 heart bypass patients, was stopped early because it did nothing.
How it works: Inside cells it turns into ZMP, which looks like a low-energy signal and switches on AMPK. That turns on genes linked to endurance.
Approval history: Never approved
How Health Canada treats this kind of product
Allows a drug to be sold by issuing a Notice of Compliance and a Drug Identification Number (DIN). A compound that is not allowed for sale cannot legally be sold for use in people. Bringing in prescription drugs for your own use is also limited.
The legal category above is how The Longevity Archive reads Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch listings for AICAR on the reviewed date. It is not a legal opinion. Rules change. Bringing a compound into the country, prescribing it and owning it can each be treated differently. Check with the agency before you act on anything here.
AICAR in sport and the military
Whether AICAR is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status in Canada. Before you compete or get tested, look up AICAR by name on the Prohibited List, or look up a named product in Global DRO. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, category S0 bans, at all times, any drug-like substance that meets two tests. No other section of the List covers it. And no government health regulator anywhere has a current approval for it as a treatment in people. Many substances that are approved somewhere are banned by name in another section. So approval does not mean a substance is allowed in sport.
- WADA Prohibited List
- Global DRO (check a named product)
- USADA (US athletes)
- Operation Supplement Safety (US service members)
The rules you compete or serve under decide this, not this page.
AICAR in other countries
United States
Not approvedNot approved; sold 'for research use only'
Is AICAR legal in the United States?United Kingdom
Not approvedUnlicensed medicine; supply for human use is unlawful
Is AICAR legal in the United Kingdom?Australia
Not approvedNot approved; on Schedule 4 (a prescription-only list) or limited at import
Is AICAR legal in Australia?Frequently asked questions
Is AICAR legal in Canada?
No. AICAR is not an approved medicine in Canada. Its legal category is "Not authorized for sale". Nothing that contains it is allowed for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" get no exception: that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 1 completed human trial is cited on its profile. Note: Banned in sport, in and out of competition, since 2009 (WADA S4.5)
Can I buy AICAR in Canada?
There is no approved product to buy. In Canada, AICAR has the legal category "Not authorized for sale". So no licensed pharmacy product exists. Sellers who list it "for research use only" are not selling it for use in people, and that label does not change its legal status. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything. Note: Banned in sport, in and out of competition, since 2009 (WADA S4.5)
Is AICAR Health Canada approved?
No. In Canada, AICAR has the legal category "Not authorized for sale". That is not a Health Canada approval to sell it. For comparison, its US FDA status is: Never approved. On the evidence, 1 completed human trial is cited on its profile.
Related compounds in Canada
Full research profile
How AICAR works, the studies we cite, FDA status and the full legal summary are all on its compound profile.
AICAR profileThis page is general information about the legal status of AICAR in Canada, current as of Sep 2026. It is not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch or ask a lawyer. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.