WADA and peptides: what is prohibited in sport

The World Anti-Doping Agency publishes the Prohibited List each year. It binds athletes in sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Code, including Olympic sports and, in the United States, athletes tested by USADA. It has nothing to do with FDA approval or the 503A list. A substance is added if WADA finds it meets at least two of three criteria: it enhances or may enhance performance, it is an actual or potential health risk, and it violates the spirit of sport.

The two classes that catch most peptides

S0, non-approved substances. Prohibited at all times. The 2026 text covers "any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use". It names BPC-157 as an example. FDA's own July 2026 briefing document on BPC-157 noted the WADA listing.

S2, signalling peptides, growth factors, related substances and mimetics. Also prohibited at all times, and non-specified, which means stricter sanctions apply. S2 covers named substances "and other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s)". It includes the GH-releasing peptides, GHRH analogues, GH secretagogues, GH fragments, kisspeptin and growth factors.

Peptides that are not named

Many peptides discussed online, such as KPV, MOTS-c, epitalon, semax, selank or DSIP, are not named on the list. That does not mean they are permitted. S0 is a catch-all for substances with no approval anywhere for human therapeutic use, and S2 extends to substances with "similar biological effect(s)". WADA addressed this directly for 2027: "Many peptides, not approved for human use by regulatory authorities, fulfill the criteria of the World Anti-Doping Code for inclusion on the Prohibited List and fall under the S0 (Non-Approved Substances) class, or other classes (such as S2 or S4). Even if a peptide is not specifically named on the List, utmost caution should be taken as it may still be prohibited and may be harmful to health."

Whether a given peptide is "approved by any governmental regulatory health authority" can turn on approvals outside the United States. Athletes should check a specific substance with their anti-doping organisation rather than infer it.

What "prohibited at all times" means

Both S0 and S2 apply in and out of competition, so a positive test in training counts the same as one on race day. WADA labels S0 substances "Specified" and S2 substances "non-specified". The difference matters at sanction stage: for a non-specified substance, an athlete carries a heavier burden to show a violation was not intentional. An athlete with a genuine medical need for a prohibited substance can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption through their anti-doping organisation, ideally before use. Whether an exemption is realistic depends on the substance, the diagnosis and the evidence for the treatment; for substances with no approval anywhere, the case is harder to make. Under the Code's strict liability principle, athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance found in their sample, whatever its source, which is one reason anti-doping bodies warn against products sold for "research".

What changed for 2027

WADA's Executive Committee approved the 2027 list on 10 September 2026 and published it on 21 September. It takes effect on 1 January 2027. For peptides, the change is one word: S0's list of examples in brackets now reads "drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development or discontinued, designer drugs, peptides, substances approved only for veterinary use". The explanatory note says that "for clarity, peptides are now named as examples in this section."

GLP-1 drugs: still permitted

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are not on the 2026 or the 2027 list. WADA said their status "will remain unchanged for 2027 pending further data". Its senior director for science and medicine, Professor Olivier Rabin, said: "at this stage, there is not enough evidence available for us to conclude with confidence that the substances meet the criteria needed for inclusion on the List." He said one sport-related study was under way and WADA had started a second. The GLP-1 hub covers the drugs themselves.

The US military

The Department of Defense keeps its own prohibited dietary supplement ingredients list. The House-passed FY2027 defense bill would bar it from listing "legally available peptides" that a service member uses lawfully. That would not change WADA's list or USADA testing. See Congress and peptides.

Why the two systems disagree

Anti-doping rules ask whether a substance could give an advantage or harm an athlete. Compounding rules ask whether a substance is characterised, safe and effective enough for a pharmacy to make it. A peptide could pass one test and fail the other. Even if FDA were to add BPC-157 or TB-500 to the 503A list, both would remain prohibited in sport unless WADA changed its list. For compound background, see BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin.

Rules change faster than most people's records. If you are on a prescribed peptide, the dose log keeps each dose with the product, the pharmacy and the concentration, and bloodwork sits on the same timeline, so a change of product or source is easier to plan with your prescriber. The peptide library grades how much research exists behind each compound, and that grading does not move when a committee votes. The app is on iOS and Android.