Legal status · United States
Is GW0742 legal in the United States?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
No. GW0742 is not an approved medicine in the United States; its classification is "Not approved; research use only". 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 the United States at a glance
| Classification | Not approved; research use only |
|---|---|
| Note | Research chemical only. No IND, no registered trial, no human publication. Prohibited in sport. |
| FDA approval status | Never approved and never tested in a registered human trial. Prohibited in sport by WADA alongside the rest of the PPAR-delta agonist class. |
| Human studies cited | 0 of 4 citations on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
Classification and note come from the GW0742 profile, checked against U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listings at the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
No product containing GW0742 is approved by FDA for any use in the United States, 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 the United States. 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 FDA treats this kind of product
Approves prescription drugs by indication and polices unapproved products, including peptides sold online. Compounding pharmacies may prepare some compounds under a prescription when the FDA places them on a permitted bulk-substances category.
The classification above is the The Longevity Archive reading of U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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 the United States?
No. GW0742 is not an approved medicine in the United States; its classification is "Not approved; research use only". 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: Research chemical only. No IND, no registered trial, no human publication. Prohibited in sport.
Can I buy GW0742 in the United States?
No approved product exists to buy. In the United States GW0742 is classified as "Not approved; research use only", 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: Research chemical only. No IND, no registered trial, no human publication. Prohibited in sport.
Is GW0742 FDA approved?
No. FDA status: Never approved and never tested in a registered human trial. Prohibited in sport by WADA alongside the rest of the PPAR-delta agonist class.. Current US classification: "Not approved; research use only". On the evidence, no human study is cited on its profile.
Related compounds in the United States
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 the United States, current as of Sep 2026. It is not legal advice, and classifications change; check U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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.