Legal status · Canada
Is Cotadutide legal in Canada?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
No. Cotadutide is not approved for any medical use in Canada. Its legal category is "Investigational, not approved". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 6 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
- People given it
- 1,221
- Found nothing
- 1
Legal category
Investigational, not approved
Work on it stopped in 2023.
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.
Cotadutide in Canada at a glance
| Legal category | Investigational, not approved |
|---|---|
| Note | Work on it stopped in 2023. |
| Health Canada approval status | Not approved by Health Canada; investigational (still being tested in trials) |
| Studies in people | 8 of 10 sources on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
The legal category and note come from the Cotadutide profile. We checked them against Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch (Health Canada) listings on the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
Cotadutide is being tested in registered clinical trials (official studies in people). Health Canada has not approved it for sale in Canada.
- 02
The only legal ways for a person to get it are to join a trial, or to use an official early-access program where one exists. There is no pharmacy product to prescribe.
- 03
Vials sold online "for research use only" are not trial supplies. That label does not make them legal to use in people.
What Cotadutide is
A once-a-day shot that acts on both GLP-1 and glucagon. AstraZeneca stopped developing it in 2023. Its own registry entries call the reason strategic pipeline planning, not safety. It leaves mid-stage studies in more than a thousand people with type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and fatty liver inflammation (MASH). It never reached a large final-stage study.
Cotadutide is a lab-made peptide that acts evenly on two hormone receptors, GLP-1 and glucagon. It was a daily shot under the skin.
How it works: In people, cotadutide's GLP-1 side does the familiar things for this drug family. It boosts insulin after meals, slows how fast the stomach empties, and cuts how much people eat.
Approval history: Never approved anywhere. AstraZeneca stopped work on it in early 2023, and said it was a business choice about which drugs to pursue (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05668936 and NCT05517226). No final-stage study was ever registered.
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 Cotadutide 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.
Cotadutide in sport and the military
Whether Cotadutide 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 Cotadutide 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.
Cotadutide in other countries
Frequently asked questions
Is Cotadutide legal in Canada?
No. Cotadutide is not approved for any medical use in Canada. Its legal category is "Investigational, not approved". The only legal way to get it is to join a registered clinical trial (an official study in people). A "research use only" label on vials sold online does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 6 completed human trials are cited on its profile. Note: Work on it stopped in 2023.
Can I buy Cotadutide in Canada?
There is no approved product to buy. In Canada, Cotadutide has the legal category "Investigational, not approved". 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: Work on it stopped in 2023.
Is Cotadutide Health Canada approved?
No. In Canada, Cotadutide has the legal category "Investigational, not approved". That is not a Health Canada approval to sell it. For comparison, its US FDA status is: Never approved anywhere. AstraZeneca stopped work on it in early 2023, and said it was a business choice about which drugs to pursue (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05668936 and NCT05517226). No final-stage study was ever registered.. On the evidence, 6 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
Related compounds in Canada
Full research profile
How Cotadutide works, the studies we cite, FDA status and the full legal summary are all on its compound profile.
Cotadutide profileThis page is general information about the legal status of Cotadutide 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.