What 'FDA approved,' 'WADA banned,' and 'Cat 1' actually mean

Every peptide page on Pepdex shows a Status panel with five categories: Natty, FDA, Compounding, WADA, and Prescribed. Each one answers a different real-world question. Here's what each label means and how to read them.

Natty status

"Natty" is shorthand from athletics — short for natural — meaning your physique and performance are achieved without performance-enhancing drugs. In tested sport, "natty" specifically means you'd pass a federation drug test.

Three labels you'll see on Pepdex:

Not natty. The peptide is universally treated as performance-enhancing or as a prescription drug. Tested athletes will fail. Examples: BPC-157, TB-500, all GH-axis peptides, IGF-1 LR3, GLP/GIP class drugs.

Grey area. Federations differ on whether the peptide disqualifies natty status. Often the case for FDA-approved drugs used off-label, naturally-occurring peptides used exogenously, and topical compounds. Examples: GHK-Cu, KPV (small fragment of natural alpha-MSH), MOTS-c (mitochondrial-derived), Setmelanotide (FDA-approved for genetic obesity), PT-141 (FDA-approved for HSDD).

Considered natty. Topical or non-performance compounds federations don't address. Rare. Examples: SNAP-8 (topical Botox-mimic), Octreotide (suppresses GH rather than enhancing).

What this category does NOT tell you: safety, legality, or whether your doctor would prescribe it. It only tells you whether you'd pass a drug test in tested sport.

FDA

This row tells you the regulatory status of the compound under U.S. drug law. There are roughly five buckets you'll see:

Approved drug. The FDA has approved the compound for at least one specific medical indication, with brand name(s) and a label specifying dose, contraindications, and warnings. Available by prescription. Examples: Tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound), Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus), Liraglutide (Saxenda/Victoza), MT-1 (Scenesse), PT-141 (Vyleesi), Tesamorelin (Egrifta), Pramlintide (Symlin), Setmelanotide (Imcivree), Teduglutide (Gattex), Octreotide (Sandostatin), Teriparatide (Forteo), HGH (multiple brand names).

Investigational. In active clinical trials. Manufacturer is pursuing approval but hasn't gotten it yet. Trial participants may have access; commercial availability is restricted. Examples: Retatrutide, Cagrilintide, Survodutide, Mazdutide, Pemvidutide, Petrelintide, Amycretin.

Not approved (for any indication). The compound exists, was studied, but never approved. Sold as research-use-only chemicals via vendor channels. Examples: BPC-157, TB-500, Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, MK-677, MOTS-c, Selank, Semax, Epitalon.

Approved abroad, not in the US. The compound has approval in other major regulatory jurisdictions but not the FDA. Examples: Cerebrolysin (approved in 50+ countries), Selank and Semax (approved in Russia), Thymosin Alpha-1 (approved in 30+ countries as Zadaxin).

Discontinued / withdrawn. Was once approved but pulled. Example: Sermorelin (originally approved as Geref in 1997 for pediatric GH-deficiency diagnostic, withdrawn from market).

What this category does NOT tell you: whether something is safe, whether you can buy it, or whether you should use it. FDA approval is a regulatory threshold, not a complete safety verdict.

Compounding (FDA Bulks Lists)

This is a more recent category that became important in 2026. It tells you whether licensed compounding pharmacies can legally prepare the peptide for patients under physician prescription.

Category 1. Compounding pharmacies CAN compound this peptide for patients with a valid prescription. Per the February 2026 HHS announcement and April 2026 FDA Federal Register update, twelve previously-restricted peptides are moving back to Category 1: BPC-157, DSIP, Epitalon, GHK-Cu, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Kisspeptin-10, KPV, LL-37, MT-2, MOTS-c, PEG-MGF.

Category 2. Identified by the FDA as posing significant safety risks for compounding. Restricted from compounding pharmacy preparation. Examples: IGF-1 LR3, MGF, PEG-MGF (some forms).

Approved drug. The compound is available as an FDA-approved branded drug, not via compounding. Examples: Tirzepatide, Semaglutide, Liraglutide, etc.

Investigational. Still in trials; compounding pharmacies cannot make it.

Not classified. The FDA hasn't formally addressed this compound in the Bulks Lists. Most experimental and Russian-origin compounds fall here.

Why this matters: for users who want a legitimate prescription pathway rather than research-vendor channels, Category 1 is the practical bucket. With a willing physician, you can get compounded BPC-157 (or any other Cat 1) prepared by a licensed pharmacy.

WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)

If you compete in any tested sport (Olympics, NCAA, USADA-tested, etc.) the WADA Prohibited List is what governs whether a substance gets you banned.

Banned (S0 — Non-Approved Substances). Compounds with no current approval by any governmental health authority for human use, plus a few specifically named compounds. The most relevant: BPC-157 was added in 2022 and remains on S0.

Banned (S1 — Anabolic Agents). Steroids and SARMs. Pepdex doesn't catalog these (out of spec).

Banned (S2 — Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors). The big one for peptide users. Covers GH and analogs (HGH, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin, Hexarelin, Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, GHRP-2/6), IGF-1 and analogs (IGF-1 LR3, IGF-1 DES, MGF, PEG-MGF), erythropoietins, and GHRH variants. Also TB-500 (thymosin β4 fragment).

Banned (S4 — Hormone and Metabolic Modulators). Aromatase inhibitors, SERMs, and myostatin inhibitors. Follistatin and ACE-031 fall here.

Banned in-competition. Some compounds are only banned during competition, not year-round. Most Pepdex peptides are NOT in this category — peptide bans are usually whole-year.

Not listed. The compound isn't on the current WADA list. GLP-class drugs (Tirz, Sema, Liraglutide, Reta) are notably NOT on the WADA list as of the 2026 list. Topical cosmetic peptides (SNAP-8) and most nootropics (Selank, Semax, DSIP) aren't either.

What this category does NOT tell you: safety. WADA bans for competitive advantage, not danger. Plenty of WADA-banned compounds are safe; plenty of WADA-permitted compounds (alcohol, cigarettes) are not. WADA status ≠ safety profile.

Prescribed

This row tells you whether real medical providers prescribe the compound and for what.

Yes — widely prescribed. Doctors regularly prescribe this for one or more indications. Examples: Tirzepatide for diabetes/obesity, Semaglutide for the same, Vyleesi for HSDD, Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, Forteo for severe osteoporosis.

Yes — for narrow indications only. Approved for very specific patient populations. Off-label use happens but is rare and tightly scrutinized. Examples: Setmelanotide (only for monogenic obesity), Teduglutide (only for short bowel syndrome), Octreotide (acromegaly, carcinoid, VIPomas).

Yes — by specialty providers via compounding. Some longevity, anti-aging, and functional medicine providers prescribe via compounding pharmacies, off-label. Examples: Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, BPC-157, GHK-Cu (post-2026 reclassification), Sermorelin.

Yes — outside the US. Approved abroad. US users would have to travel or use international clinics. Examples: Cerebrolysin (Mexico, EU, Russia, China), Thymosin Alpha-1 (35+ countries), Selank/Semax (Russia).

Trial-only access. Investigational compounds — patients can sometimes access through clinical trials. Examples: Retatrutide, Survodutide, Mazdutide, Petrelintide, Pemvidutide, Amycretin.

Not prescribed in conventional medicine. No medical pathway exists. The compound is sold as research-use-only via vendor channels. Examples: most experimental peptides, Russian bioregulators, MT-2, MK-677.

Why this matters: if you want medical oversight for what you're doing, "prescribed" tells you whether that pathway exists at all. For Cat 1 compounded peptides, finding a willing physician is the bottleneck. For investigational compounds, trial access is the only legitimate path.

How to read all five together

When you open a peptide entry, scan the Status panel left to right:

1. Natty? First — answers "can I use this and stay competitive?" 2. FDA — answers "is this a real approved drug or research-only?" 3. Compounding — answers "can a pharmacy legally make this for me?" 4. WADA — answers "will this fail a drug test?" 5. Prescribed — answers "do real doctors deal with this compound?"

Together they paint the regulatory and athletic picture of the compound. Combine that with the Evidence tier (Strong / Moderate / Limited / Anecdotal) and you have the full "is this real and serious" verdict before you ever read the dose section.

Related reading: Evidence tiers explained, Spotting scam vendors, Peptides vs steroids, SARMs, supplements.