Health Canada Warns Against Injecting Peptides Purchased Online

Health Canada is warning Canadians against using injectable peptides bought online, due to the potential for “serious health risks” like liver or kidney damage, or even cancerous tumours.

“Think twice before injecting peptides bought online,” the federal health agency said in a recent advisory that describes the products as “unauthorized.”

Injectable peptide drugs can change how the body works and are often promoted online and on social media as an “anti-aging” cure or a weight loss drug, Health Canada said. They are also marketed as an aid for bodybuilding, athletic performance, injury recovery, sleep, mental focus, or general “wellness.”

Peptides in Canada are typically classified as prescription drugs and should only be purchased from a licensed pharmacy, the health agency said. It emphasized that the drugs should only be used under the supervision of a licensed health-care professional, such as a doctor, for the treatment of specific medical conditions.

Unauthorized peptides are considered illegal drugs because they have not been assessed by Health Canada for safety, efficacy, and quality, the advisory said.

“They have not been demonstrated, through scientific trials, to provide the health benefits that they claim,” the agency said. “Consumers taking unauthorized peptide drugs are exposed to a variety of risks, including, but not limited to, hormonal imbalance, mood swings, blood sugar imbalance, liver or kidney damage, blood clots, and growth of cancerous tumours.”

Use of unauthorized injectable peptide drugs may lead to infections, allergic reactions, and interactions with other medications, Health Canada said. The drugs could also contain high-risk ingredients, additives, or contaminants that may not be listed on the label and may not have been manufactured or stored safely.

Health Canada has seized several unauthorized injectable peptide drugs and is working with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to stop further unauthorized shipments from entering the country, the agency said. It did not say when the seizures took place or how much had been seized.

Health Canada announced last August it had confiscated a number of unauthorized injectable peptide drugs from Canada Peptide, a website selling what the agency called “illegal” products.

Some examples of unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized include BPC-157, CJC-1295, DSIP, Epitalon, GHK-Cu, HCG, Ipamorelin, KPV, Melanotan I and II, MOTS-C, NAD+, SS-31, TB-500, and Retatrutide.

The notice advises anybody who has used an unauthorized injectable drug to consult a health-care professional if they have concerns and report any health product-related side effects or complaints to Health Canada.

The advisory also directs anyone who purchased the drugs to either return the product to a pharmacy or follow municipal or regional guidelines for proper disposal.

Customers can verify product labels to ensure a drug has received authorization for sale from Health Canada by locating the eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN), or Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM), the agency said.

Shoppers can also check if products have been authorized by searching Health Canada’s Drug Product Database and Licensed Natural Health Product Database.