The short version of GW501516 fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
Reviewed 2025-07-22. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Anti-doping laboratories detect GW501516 and its metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is the most common matrix, though blood and dried blood spots may also be used in some programs. Detection depends on factors such as dose, timing, metabolism, and the sensitivity of the assay. Published methods describe limits of detection in the low nanogram per milliliter range for related compounds. Exact detection windows are not fixed for all situations and remain an area of ongoing study.
Products sold as cardarine have been found to contain incorrect compounds, variable amounts, or no active ingredient at all. Independent testing is required to verify identity and purity. Common analytical approaches include high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance for structural confirmation. These methods can distinguish GW501516 from related PPAR agonists and from unrelated steroids. For regulators and researchers, such verification is central to interpreting both biological results and adverse event reports.
Cardarine is prohibited in competitive sport under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, where it is classified as a metabolic modulator. It is not approved as a prescription medicine in the United States, European Union, or other major markets. Regulatory action has focused on its presence in sports and in products marketed as research chemicals. Because it has no accepted medical indication, supply is often unregulated. This status creates legal and safety uncertainties for anyone who encounters the substance.
Legal status varies by country. In some places, cardarine is controlled under medicines or psychoactive substances laws; in others, it may be sold with minimal oversight as a research chemical. Customs agencies have intercepted shipments, and several national health agencies have issued warnings about products marketed for bodybuilding or performance enhancement. The lack of a standardized pharmaceutical supply means identity, purity, and contamination levels can differ widely between samples. These factors make cardarine a regulatory and public health concern rather than a conventional prescription drug.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound first described in the 1990s as a selective agonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta. It was studied in preclinical models for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it has not been approved as a medicine in the United States, Europe, or other major jurisdictions. Retail products labeled as cardarine are generally research chemicals or supplements, not pharmaceutical formulations. Because human safety and efficacy data remain limited, regulatory agencies treat it as an unapproved substance rather than a therapeutic product.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Prohibited in sport | Listed by WADA as a metabolic modulator. |
| Approved medical use | None in major jurisdictions | Not a registered drug. |
| Common test matrix | Urine | Most anti-doping samples use urine. |
| Typical detection method | LC-MS/MS | Detects parent compound and metabolites. |
| Reference standard storage | -20 °C, desiccated | Typical for analytical standards. |
The pharmacological interest in cardarine centers on PPARδ activation and its downstream effects on lipid handling and mitochondrial function. In animal studies, PPARδ agonists have been associated with changes in exercise endurance and fatty acid utilization, though results vary by model and protocol. Human data remain sparse, and the absence of large controlled trials limits conclusions about efficacy. Researchers often describe the compound as a tool for probing PPARδ biology rather than a proven therapeutic agent.
Safety discussions about cardarine frequently cite rodent carcinogenicity findings reported in the 2000s. In those studies, treated animals developed tumors at multiple sites, leading sponsors to discontinue clinical development. The relevance of these findings to humans has not been resolved, but they are a major reason the compound is not approved. Current literature emphasizes uncertainty about long-term effects and the risks of unregulated use. Regulators and health agencies have not established a safe human exposure level.
GW501516 binds and activates PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that influences transcription of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and energy use. Activation shifts some metabolic pathways in preclinical models, which is why the compound has been studied for lipid disorders and exercise-related endpoints. The exact downstream effects in humans are incompletely mapped. PPARδ is expressed in many tissues, including skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, so broad activation may have varied consequences. Researchers continue to examine how selective or partial activation might alter the balance between benefits and risks.
Published human data are sparse and mostly come from early-phase trials. Those studies examined short-term changes in lipids, glucose, and exercise capacity, but they were not large enough to establish efficacy or long-term safety. Some animal experiments reported increased running endurance, yet such findings do not prove a performance benefit in people. Anti-doping laboratories detect GW501516 and its metabolites in urine or blood using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Detection windows depend on dose, sample type, and individual metabolism. The method is sensitive enough to identify trace residues in tested samples.
PPARδ is a nuclear receptor that influences transcription of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, lipid transport, and energy homeostasis. GW501516 binds and activates this receptor with high selectivity relative to PPARα and PPARγ in laboratory assays. Activation alters expression of target genes in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue in animal models. The exact clinical consequences of these changes in humans remain incompletely characterized, and observed effects in animals do not establish therapeutic benefit or safety.
Published studies have examined GW501516 in animal models of obesity, insulin resistance, and exercise endurance. Early human trials reportedly ended, and development was discontinued after preclinical findings raised concerns about cancer in some rodent studies. Regulatory agencies have not approved cardarine for any medical use. Its availability through non-pharmaceutical channels raises questions about identity, purity, and legal status that are separate from its laboratory pharmacology. Those questions are often addressed through analytical testing rather than assumptions about product labels.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, also GW-1516, a synthetic compound developed as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist. It belongs to a class of agents that modulate gene transcription related to lipid and energy metabolism. The compound was studied in preclinical and early clinical research for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it did not progress to approved therapeutic use. Its name appears in fitness and sports contexts despite not being approved as a drug.
Anti-doping laboratories identify GW501516 and its metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is the usual matrix, and detection can occur after the parent compound has cleared from blood. The exact detection window depends on dose, formulation, individual metabolism, and assay sensitivity. Because the compound is prohibited at all times, athletes are subject to testing in and out of competition. Analytical methods continue to improve as new metabolites and designer analogs are characterized.
GW501516 acts as a ligand for PPAR delta, a nuclear receptor that regulates transcription of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and energy use. Activation of this receptor in skeletal muscle shifts metabolism toward fat burning in animal models. The compound does not burn fat directly; it changes gene expression over hours to days. Researchers study it to understand metabolic flexibility and exercise adaptation. Effects observed in rodents are not automatically expected in humans.
Preclinical research reported that GW501516 increased running endurance in mice and improved lipid profiles in some animal species. Early human trials explored effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose handling, but the program was discontinued. Published human data are sparse and do not establish efficacy for any condition. Studies also examined PPAR delta in cancer biology, with conflicting findings across models. The relationship between receptor activation, tissue context, and disease risk remains an active area of investigation.
=== Diagnostic uses === Diagnostic qualitative PCR is applied to rapidly detect nucleic acids that are diagnostic of, for example, infectious diseases, cancer and genetic abnormalities. The introduction of qualitative PCR assays to the clinical microbiology laboratory has significantly improved the diagnosis of infectious diseases, and is deployed as a tool to detect newly emerging diseases, such as new strains of flu and coronavirus, in diagnostic tests.
For services to 31 Squadron Royal Air Force Association. Henry Ashley Edwards, Consultant Anaesthetist, Ysbyty Gwynedd. For services to the Welsh Medical Committee. The Reverend John Gisborne Charteris Eldrid. For services to the Samaritans. Geoffrey Kenyon Elliott. For services to Forestry and to Wood Science. Robert William Elliott, Chairperson and Director, Wiltshire & Swindon Users' Network, and Chairperson, The Jumbulance Group. For services to disabled people in Wiltshire. David John Ellis, Grade 6, Ministry of Defence. Andrew James Erving, Grade 7, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. George Stanley Etchells, Member, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. For services to Local Government. Eric Magnus Eunson, lately General Manager, Power System Development, National Grid Company plc. For services to the Electricity Industry. David Roger Evans. For services to Agriculture in Wales. Gwynne Howard Neill Evans, lately Grade 6, Department for Education and Employment. David Roger Evans. For services to Agriculture in Wales. John Ivan Ellis Farmer, Honorary Show Director, All England Jumping Course, Hickstead. For services to Show Jumping. William Harold Faulkner, Headteacher, Montrose Academy. For services to Education. David Alan Fawcett. For humanitarian services in the Caribbean. Ronald Paul Feeney, Governor 2, Her Majesty's Prison Stafford. Professor Christine Elizabeth Fell, Professor of Early English Studies, University of Nottingham. For services to Early English. John Ronald Fenner, Chairman, British Urban Regeneration Association.
Cystine/glutamate transporter is an antiporter that in humans is encoded by the SLC7A11 gene. The SLC7A11 gene encodes a sodium-independent cystine-glutamate antiporter that is chloride dependent, also known as xCT. Along with a heavy chain subunit from SLC3A2, the SLC7A11 light chain comprises system Xc-, which is the functional cystine-glutamate antiporter. While the SLC3A2 heavy chain is a chaperone for many other light chains that participate in amino acid transport, the SLC7A11 light chain is specific for system Xc-, and the terms xCT/SLC7A11 and system Xc- are used interchangeably in much of the literature. SLC7A11 couples the uptake of one molecule of cystine with the release of one molecule of glutamate, and therefore it plays an important role in glutathione production throughout nervous and non-nervous tissues. In the nervous system, SLC7A11 regulates synaptic activity by stimulating extrasynaptic receptors and performs nonvesicular glutamate release. This gene is highly expressed by astrocytes. The expression of Xc- was detected throughout the brain with higher expression found in the basolateral amygdala, the retina and the prefrontal cortex. The inhibition of system Xc- has been found to alter a number of behaviors, which suggests that it plays a key role in excitatory signaling. SLC7A11 has been found to accept cysteine hydropersulfide as an alternative substrate, exchanging one molecule of cysteine hydropersulfide for one molecule of cystine under the basal concentration gradients for these species.
The proportion of de novo genes that are protein-coding is unknown, but the appearance of "transcription first" has led some to posit that protein-coding de novo genes may first exist as RNA gene intermediates. The case of bifunctional RNAs, which are both translated and function as RNA genes, shows that such a mechanism is plausible. Neutral evolutionary modelling suggests that de novo protein-coding genes may more often emerge via a transcription-first trajectory, and that antisense overlap with existing genes can increase the probability of ORF emergence and retention. The gain of both transcription and ORF may occur simultaneously when chromosomal rearrangement is the event that precipitates gene birth.
As a result of illegal tactics, including illegal surveillance and vigilantism, used by the RCMP Security Service and the consequent scandals surrounding the RCMP, intelligence work was transferred to a new agency, CSIS in 1984 through the implementation of Bill C-9.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== 2010 and beyond === By around 2010, Hanmi's R&D had two areas of interest: developing longer-lasting peptide and protein therapeutics using its "Lapscovery" technology, and developing small molecule tyrosine-kinase inhibitors for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Its strategy was to developmental incremental modifications of existing drugs, create new combination drugs, and to develop novel drugs. In August 2014 Hanmi exclusively licensed rights in China for poziotinib, a small molecule EGFR inhibitor, to the Chinese company Luye Pharma; in February 2015 Hanmi licensed rights in the rest of the world outside of South Korea to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. In March 2015 Hanmi and Lilly signed an exclusive license outside of Asia for Hanmi's small molecule Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the field of autoimmune diseases; Lilly paid $50 million upfront and the deal included up to $640 million in milestones and royalties greater than 10%. In November 2015 Hanmi signed three agreements:
Glyndŵr's Way – a 135-mile (217 km) extended loop through Powys between Knighton and Welshpool Sarn Sabrina Walk – a 25-mile (40 km) circular walking route from Llanidloes to the source of the River Severn Severn Way – described by the Long Distance Walkers Association as a 224-mile (360 km) waymarked long-distance trail Taff Trail – walking and cycle path that runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon Offa's Dyke Path – a long-distance footpath about 177-mile (285 km) Wye Valley Walk – a 136 miles (219 km) long-distance footpath from Chepstow to Rhayader
=== Titles and styles === 9 May 1892 – 21 October 1911: Her Royal Highness Princess Zita of Parma 21 October 1911 – 28 June 1914: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Zita, Archduchess Karl of Austria, Princess of Parma 28 June 1914 – 21 November 1916: Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Archduchess of Austria-Este 21 November 1916 – 3 April 1919: Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty The Empress of Austria, Apostolic Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia
Ancient Egyptians might have farmed fish (especially gilt-head bream) from Lake Bardawil about 1,500 BCE (about 3,500 BP), and they traded them with Canaan. Gim cultivation is the oldest aquaculture in Korea. Early cultivation methods used bamboo or oak sticks; newer methods utilizing nets replaced them in the 19th century. Floating rafts have been used for mass production since the 1920s. Japanese people cultivated seaweed by providing bamboo poles and, later, nets and oyster shells to serve as anchoring-surfaces for spores. Romans bred fish in ponds and farmed oysters in coastal lagoons before 100 CE.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Legal status varies by country, but cardarine is not approved as a medicine in major jurisdictions. It is often sold as a research chemical, a category that may not be lawful for human use. Buyers should check local laws and product labels carefully.
Anti-doping laboratories use LC-MS/MS to detect GW501516 and its metabolites, usually in urine. The method can identify the parent compound at low concentrations. Detection windows vary with dose and individual factors.
No, cardarine has no approved medical uses in major jurisdictions. Early research explored metabolic conditions, but those programs were discontinued. It is not a registered treatment for any disease.
No. Major drug regulators have not approved GW501516 for treating any medical condition. Products sold as cardarine are typically unapproved research chemicals or supplements, so their contents and safety are not assured.