NewsRegulatory · 2026-04-18

How WADA's S0 and S2 Categories Capture Almost Every Popular Peptide

Tested athletes have effectively no compliant peptide options outside approved therapeutic use exemptions: S0 covers any non-approved substance, and S2 covers growth factors and secretagogues.

The S0 category is deliberately broad — any pharmacological substance not currently approved by a governmental health authority for human therapeutic use is prohibited at all times. BPC-157 and TB-500 fall here by definition.

S2 covers peptide hormones, growth factors, and related mimetics, capturing GHRH analogues and ghrelin-receptor agonists such as CJC-1295 and ipamorelin.

Detection windows for several of these compounds have lengthened as mass-spectrometry methods improved, and stored samples are subject to reanalysis for up to ten years.

Primary sourceWADA Prohibited List

Peptides referenced

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