Legal status · Canada
Is GW0742 legal in Canada?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
No. GW0742 is not an approved medicine in Canada; its classification is "Not approved". Nothing containing it is authorized for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" are not exempt: that label does not make human use lawful. On the evidence, no human study is cited on its profile.
GW0742 in Canada at a glance
| Classification | Not approved |
|---|---|
| Note | Not approved. Products in this class have been seized by regulators. |
| Health Canada approval status | Not approved by Health Canada |
| Human studies cited | 0 of 4 citations on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
Classification and note come from the GW0742 profile, checked against Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch (Health Canada) listings at the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
No product containing GW0742 is approved by Health Canada for any use in Canada, so nothing on the market is authorized for people.
- 02
"Research use only" is a vendor label, not a legal category that permits human use. It does not exempt a product from medicines law.
- 03
Importing, supplying or promoting it for human use can fall under medicines legislation in Canada. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What GW0742 is
The sibling of GW501516, sold on the same endurance story with none of the same evidence. No human study of GW0742 of any design has ever been published, and the endurance result is mice on a treadmill.
GW0742 is a selective agonist at PPAR-beta/delta, the same nuclear receptor GW501516 targets, from the same GlaxoSmithKline chemistry. It is sold in the research chemical market as the newer, cleaner cardarine.
Mechanism: Selective agonism at PPAR-beta/delta, a nuclear receptor that upregulates fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial genes in skeletal muscle. In the mouse combination study, GW0742-treated groups tended to higher PGC-1alpha protein, and at exhaustion Pgc1a, Pdk4, Cd36 and Lpl were upregulated in muscle, with a measurable shift from carbohydrate to fat as the fuel and glycogen sparing that delayed hypoglycaemia.
Regulatory history: Never approved and never tested in a registered human trial. Prohibited in sport by WADA alongside the rest of the PPAR-delta agonist class.
How Health Canada treats this kind of product
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 GW0742 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.
GW0742 in other countries
Frequently asked questions
Is GW0742 legal in Canada?
No. GW0742 is not an approved medicine in Canada; its classification is "Not approved". Nothing containing it is authorized for any use in people. Vials labeled "for research use only" are not exempt: that label does not make human use lawful. On the evidence, no human study is cited on its profile. Note: Not approved. Products in this class have been seized by regulators.
Can I buy GW0742 in Canada?
No approved product exists to buy. In Canada GW0742 is classified as "Not approved", so there is no licensed pharmacy product. Vendors selling it "for research use only" are not selling it for human use, and that label does not change its legal status. This site does not list or recommend vendors. Note: Not approved. Products in this class have been seized by regulators.
Is GW0742 Health Canada approved?
No. In Canada GW0742 is classified as "Not approved", which is not a Health Canada marketing approval. For comparison, the US FDA status is: Never approved and never tested in a registered human trial. Prohibited in sport by WADA alongside the rest of the PPAR-delta agonist class.. On the evidence, no human study is cited on its profile.
Related compounds in Canada
Full research profile
Mechanism, cited studies, FDA status and the full legal summary for GW0742 live on its compound profile.
GW0742 profileThis page is general information about the regulatory status of GW0742 in Canada, current as of Sep 2026. It is not legal advice, and classifications change; check Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch directly or consult a lawyer for a specific situation. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research. It is not medical advice and contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use. The Longevity Archive has no vendor relationships and does not recommend where to buy anything.