- Longevity & performance
- GW1516 (Cardarine) in Thailand
Research Compound · Safety Guide
GW1516 (Cardarine) in Thailand
What GW1516 (also sold as Cardarine) is, why its development was abandoned over animal cancer findings, and why it is neither a legal nor a safe medicine in Thailand. Reviewed by a licensed physician at a MOPH-registered men's health clinic.
- Not an approved medicine anywhere
- WADA-prohibited · animal cancer signal
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Noppon Arunkajohnsak (Win)
Menscape Clinic
Last reviewed
11 July 2026
0
Approved human uses
never authorized in any country
2007
Development abandoned
after animal cancer findings
2009
Banned in sport
added to the WADA Prohibited List
2013
WADA health alert
rare public warning to athletes
Key takeaways
GW1516 is an experimental PPARδ agonist, not a registered medicine in Thailand or any other country, and it is not approved for human use.
Its development was stopped around 2007 after long-term animal studies found it caused cancers in multiple organs across a range of doses.
It is prohibited in sport at all times by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which took the unusual step of publicly warning athletes about it in 2013.
Anything sold online or in gyms as "Cardarine" or "Endurobol" is an unregulated grey-market product. There is no established safe dose, so talk to a doctor before you consider it.
01
What GW1516 is & why it was abandoned
GW1516 (developmental code GW501516, commonly sold as Cardarine) is an experimental compound developed by a major pharmaceutical company in the 1990s and 2000s. It is a PPARδ agonist, meaning it activates a nuclear receptor involved in how the body uses energy. It was investigated as a possible treatment for dyslipidemia and metabolic conditions, and it was never approved for anything.
In animal studies, activating PPARδ shifted energy metabolism toward burning fat and increased endurance capacity. That is why the compound circulates in fitness communities as an "endurance" or "fat-loss" aid. Those effects were shown in rodents, not confirmed as safe or effective in people, and they are not a reason to use it.
Around 2007, development was halted after long-term rodent carcinogenicity studies found dose-dependent tumors across multiple organs. It has never been authorized by the Thai FDA, the US FDA or the EMA. Today it exists only as a grey-market research chemical, which is a very different thing from a medicine.
It activates PPARδ
GW1516 binds and switches on the PPAR-delta receptor found in muscle, fat and liver tissue.
It shifts fuel use
In animal models this increased fatty-acid burning and endurance capacity.¹
It was studied for cholesterol
Early research targeted dyslipidemia (raising HDL, lowering triglycerides), but human treatment was never established.⁴
Chronic use drove tumors
Long-term dosing caused cancers in multiple organs, and development was stopped around 2007.⁶
02
Getting GW1516 in Thailand
Thai FDA status
GW1516 is not registered as a medicine with the Thai FDA. There is no approved product, so it cannot be legally sold or dispensed as a medicine in Thailand. Sold in gyms and online under names such as Cardarine or Endurobol, it is an unregistered research chemical, not a pharmaceutical.⁷
How Menscape approaches it
Any consultation about GW1516 at Menscape is a safety conversation first. A licensed Thai physician reviews why you are considering it, explains the cancer and regulatory concerns plainly, and discusses safe, evidence-based options for your actual goal.
The grey-market reality
Products labeled "Cardarine" or "GW-501516" online have no quality control. Independent testing of this category of products routinely finds wrong doses, wrong ingredients and contaminants, and no one is accountable for what you receive.⁵
Thai FDA. GW1516 is not an authorized medicinal product in Thailand. Unregistered substances sold for human consumption fall outside any safety, quality or labeling oversight.
03
Does it work? The evidence
There are no completed human trials showing that GW1516 is safe or effective for fat loss, endurance or any medical use. The metabolic and endurance effects that made it popular were demonstrated in rodents and did not translate into an approved human treatment.
The most important human-relevant data is the toxicology. In long-term rodent carcinogenicity studies, GW1516 caused tumors across many organ systems at a wide range of doses. That is why development was stopped and why no regulator has approved it. Because the proper human studies were never done, the cancer risk in people is unquantified, not disproven.
Multiple
Organs with tumors
in long-term rodent carcinogenicity studies
0
Approved human uses
no regulator has authorized it
Preclinical rodent toxicology and regulatory status. GW1516 has not completed human safety trials for any indication.
04
Side effects & who shouldn't take it
The main concern: cancer
This is the reason development stopped. Long-term animal dosing produced dose-dependent tumors in multiple organs. Because equivalent human studies were never done, the risk in people is unknown rather than ruled out.⁶
Poorly characterized in humans
Because it was never properly studied in people, its liver, cardiovascular and long-term effects are not well understood. Grey-market products add contamination and wrong-dose risks on top of that.⁵
Who should never use it
No one should use GW1516 for performance or fat loss. It is especially dangerous for anyone with a personal or family history of cancer or liver disease, and for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive.
If you compete in sport
GW1516 is banned at all times by WADA and is specifically tested for, with a long detection window. A single use can end in a ban, and many athletes have been sanctioned for it.²³
05
Alternatives & combinations
Fat loss · evidence-based
Medical weight management
If your goal is fat loss, a doctor can assess monitored, evidence-based options and a realistic lifestyle plan rather than an unapproved compound with a cancer signal.
Cholesterol · approved
Registered lipid treatments
GW1516 was originally studied for dyslipidemia. Approved medicines such as statins and fibrates do that job with decades of safety data behind them.
Performance · lawful
Training, nutrition & recovery
The endurance gains people chase from GW1516 come safely and legally from structured training, nutrition, sleep and, where indicated, correcting deficiencies a doctor can test for.
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How a consultation works at Menscape
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Considering GW1516? Talk to a doctor first.
Message us on WhatsApp or LINE
Tell us your goal and health history in a few minutes on your phone. It is free and PDPA-protected.
Doctor consultation
A licensed Thai physician reviews why you are considering GW1516 and explains the cancer and regulatory concerns clearly, by video call or in clinic at Asoke.
An honest recommendation
Instead of an unapproved compound, the doctor discusses safe, evidence-based options for your actual goal. For most people, that means not using GW1516.
Follow-up & monitoring
If you are pursuing a metabolic or performance goal, the doctor sets up appropriate testing and monitored, lawful treatment with regular check-ins.
The doctor decides. A consultation is not a purchase. Menscape does not prescribe GW1516 for fat loss or performance, and a doctor will explain why.
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Noppon Arunkajohnsak (Win)
Menscape Clinic, Bangkok
“I understand wanting an edge on fat loss or endurance. But GW1516's development was stopped because it caused cancer in animals, so there is no dose I can honestly call safe, and I would rather help you reach the same goal without gambling your health.”
- Reviewed
- 11 July 2026
- Next review
- January 2027
- Editorial standard
- Each guide is checked against the Thai FDA label and the primary literature, then reviewed by a licensed physician.
07
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy GW1516 (Cardarine) over the counter in Thailand?
No. It is not a registered medicine in Thailand, so no pharmacy can legally sell it. Anything sold online or in gyms as Cardarine or Endurobol is an unregulated grey-market product with no safety oversight.
Is GW1516 approved for any medical use anywhere?
No. No regulator has ever approved it, not the Thai FDA, the US FDA or the EMA. Its development was abandoned around 2007 and no one has brought it back through human safety trials since.
Why was GW1516 discontinued?
Long-term animal studies found it caused cancers in multiple organs at a range of doses. The company stopped development, and the compound never completed human safety testing.
Is it really dangerous, or is that overblown?
The cancer findings were in animals, so the exact human risk is unknown. But unknown is not the same as safe: because proper human studies were never done, no one can tell you a safe dose or promise that long-term use will not cause cancer.
People say it helps endurance and fat loss. Is that true?
Those effects were shown in rodents. They were never confirmed as safe or effective in humans, and no possible benefit outweighs an unquantified cancer risk from an unregulated product.
Will GW1516 show up on a drug test?
Yes. It is prohibited in sport at all times and is specifically tested for, with a long detection window. Athletes have been banned after a single detected use.
I already bought some online. What should I do?
Stop using it and talk to a doctor. Bring the product if you can. A doctor can discuss appropriate monitoring and safer ways to reach whatever goal you were chasing.
What are safer options for fat loss or endurance?
For fat loss, a doctor can assess monitored, evidence-based options. For endurance, structured training, nutrition and sleep deliver real gains without the risk. A consultation is the place to work out what fits you.
08
References
1. Narkar VA, et al. AMPK and PPARδ agonists are exercise mimetics. Cell. 2008;134(3):405-415.
2. World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA warns of the health risks of GW501516. WADA media release. 2013.
3. World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List — S4 Hormone and Metabolic Modulators (PPARδ agonists). WADA. 2026.
4. Sahebkar A, Chew GT, Watts GF. New peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists for atherogenic dyslipidaemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2014;15(4):493-503.
5. U.S. FDA. FDA warns against using SARMs in body-building products. FDA Consumer Update. 2017.
6. Wagner N, Wagner KD. PPAR beta/delta and the hallmarks of cancer. Cells. 2020;9(5):1133.
7. Thai Food and Drug Administration (อย.). Drug registration database — no marketing authorization for GW501516. ndi.fda.moph.go.th. Accessed July 2026.
This guide is educational information, not medical advice. GW1516 is an experimental compound that is not approved for human use in Thailand or elsewhere. Do not use it without first discussing the risks with a licensed physician.
This guide is part of the Menscape longevity library
Explore the condition hubTempted by GW1516? Get the real risks from a doctor, not a forum.
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