PPARδ raises a handful of sensible questions. This page answers them in order, starting with the fundamentals and moving to applications.
This page was last updated on 2026-05-27 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Sporting authorities added GW501516 to prohibited lists after it appeared in athlete samples and online markets. The World Anti-Doping Agency classifies it as a hormone and metabolic modulator, and its use can lead to an anti-doping rule violation. Some early laboratory work suggested effects on fatty acid oxidation and endurance-related metabolism in animals, but those findings do not establish safe or effective use in people. Reports of adverse events in humans are scarce and often anecdotal, which complicates risk assessment.
Legal status varies by country. In some places, cardarine is controlled under medicines or psychoactive substances laws; in others, it may be sold with minimal oversight as a research chemical. Customs agencies have intercepted shipments, and several national health agencies have issued warnings about products marketed for bodybuilding or performance enhancement. The lack of a standardized pharmaceutical supply means identity, purity, and contamination levels can differ widely between samples. These factors make cardarine a regulatory and public health concern rather than a conventional prescription drug.
Published studies have examined GW501516 in animal models of obesity, insulin resistance, and exercise endurance. Early human trials reportedly ended, and development was discontinued after preclinical findings raised concerns about cancer in some rodent studies. Regulatory agencies have not approved cardarine for any medical use. Its availability through non-pharmaceutical channels raises questions about identity, purity, and legal status that are separate from its laboratory pharmacology. Those questions are often addressed through analytical testing rather than assumptions about product labels.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, also GW-1516, a synthetic compound developed as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist. It belongs to a class of agents that modulate gene transcription related to lipid and energy metabolism. The compound was studied in preclinical and early clinical research for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it did not progress to approved therapeutic use. Its name appears in fitness and sports contexts despite not being approved as a drug.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IUPAC name | {4-[({4-methyl-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,3-thiazol-5-yl}methyl)sulfanyl]phenoxy}acetic acid | Systematic name for GW501516 |
| CAS Registry Number | 317318-70-0 | Unique identifier for the parent compound |
| Molecular formula | C21H18F3NO3S2 | Includes carbon, hydrogen, fluorine, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur |
| Molecular weight | 453.5 g/mol | Approximate value for the neutral form |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical description for purified laboratory material |
Detection of GW501516 in biological samples generally relies on liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is a common matrix in anti-doping analysis, while blood or plasma may be used in research settings. Sample preparation can involve enzymatic hydrolysis, protein precipitation, or solid-phase extraction before instrumental analysis. Because the compound undergoes metabolism, assays may target the parent molecule, one or more metabolites, or both. Detection windows are not fixed; they depend on factors such as dose, route, individual metabolism, and assay sensitivity. Reference standards are required for accurate identification and quantification.
Handling and quality assessment of cardarine reference material follow general laboratory practices for poorly characterized compounds. It typically appears as a white to off-white powder and is sparingly soluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide and ethanol. Storage recommendations usually specify a cool, dry, dark place, with long-term storage at low temperature and desiccation. Purity may be checked by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection, while identity is confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. No pharmacopeial monograph exists, so reported purity and stability depend on the supplier’s methods.
Products sold as cardarine have been found to contain incorrect compounds, variable amounts, or no active ingredient at all. Independent testing is required to verify identity and purity. Common analytical approaches include high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance for structural confirmation. These methods can distinguish GW501516 from related PPAR agonists and from unrelated steroids. For regulators and researchers, such verification is central to interpreting both biological results and adverse event reports.
Cardarine is prohibited in competitive sport under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, where it is classified as a metabolic modulator. It is not approved as a prescription medicine in the United States, European Union, or other major markets. Regulatory action has focused on its presence in sports and in products marketed as research chemicals. Because it has no accepted medical indication, supply is often unregulated. This status creates legal and safety uncertainties for anyone who encounters the substance.
Published human data are sparse and mostly come from early-phase trials. Those studies examined short-term changes in lipids, glucose, and exercise capacity, but they were not large enough to establish efficacy or long-term safety. Some animal experiments reported increased running endurance, yet such findings do not prove a performance benefit in people. Anti-doping laboratories detect GW501516 and its metabolites in urine or blood using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Detection windows depend on dose, sample type, and individual metabolism. The method is sensitive enough to identify trace residues in tested samples.
Laboratory handling focuses on identity, purity, and stability. Reference standards are typically stored cold and dry, protected from light, because solutions can degrade over time. Analytical checks may use high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection or mass spectrometry. Impurities and related substances can be separated chromatographically and compared with a known standard. Because cardarine is not an approved drug, compendial monographs are absent, and laboratories often rely on in-house methods. Reported purity varies among unregulated products and should not be assumed from a label.
== Early life == Stanton attended Banyule Primary School and Viewbank College. At the age of 16, Stanton was selected to play for the 2002 Northern Knights team in the TAC Cup. He played nine games, averaged 16 possessions and kicked 11 goals. Growing up, Stanton supported the Carlton Football Club.
A crystal structure of the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor bound to LSD reveals an extracellular loop that forms a "lid" over the diethylamide end of the binding cavity and "traps" LSD in the binding pocket, which explains the slow rate of LSD unbinding from serotonin receptors. The related lysergamide lysergic acid amide (LSA) that lacks the diethylamide moiety is far less potent in comparison. Moreover, a specific residue in the binding pocket is partially responsible for the prolonged action of LSD, and this residue is found in the human protein but not in the receptors of rodents. LSD is an extraordinarily potent psychoactive drug and is among the most potent psychedelics known in humans. The very high potency of LSD in producing psychedelic-like effects is also the case in animals, including rodents and monkeys. It is unclear why LSD is so potent. The affinity and activational potency of LSD at the human serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in vitro is unremarkable compared to other psychedelics such as DOI and DOB. There is no evidence for its greater potency being related to pharmacokinetics or metabolism. It appears that the N,N-diethylamide moiety of LSD fits into a sterically constrained region of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor that specifically accommodates this moiety. LSD, like other psychedelics, has been found to increase the expression of genes related to synaptic plasticity and hence to have psychoplastogenic effects. This appears to be mediated by serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonism.
One such design has a curved electrostatic path so that the more energetic ions are forced round the outer part of the bend. Another such design incorporates an electrostatic mirror in which the more energetic ions penetrate more deeply before reflection. In both designs, the faster ions have a longer flight path to offset their increased velocity, and all ions of the same mass arrive at the detector simultaneously.
==== Songs ==== "Chains" (Cookies song), 1962, covered by The Beatles "The Chain", a 1977 song by Fleetwood Mac "Chains", a song by Chicago from the 1982 album Chicago 16 "Chains" (Patty Loveless song), 1990 "Chain", a song by His Boy Elroy on their 1993 self-titled album. "Chains" (Tina Arena song), 1994 "Chains" (DLT song), 1996 "Chain", a song by the Fire Theft from their 2003 self-titled album "Chains" (Nick Jonas song), 2014 "Chains" (Usher song), 2015
The 1848 appointment of Lord Dalhousie as the Governor General of the East India Company set the stage for changes essential to a modern state: consolidating and demarcating sovereignty, monitoring the population through censuses, educating citizens and rationalising the beauraucracy. Technological advancements—among them, railways, canals, and the telegraph—were introduced within years of their introduction in Europe, with the East India Company guaranteeing fixed financial returns to attract British private investors. Simultaneously, the proponents of these public works lobbied the British government for support, presenting them as necessities for military logistics and security and Indian social and cultural reform. Thus, the Upper Doab's Ganges Canal—conceived by Proby Cautley under Lord Auckland and completed under Dalhousie—was promoted to Company's Court of Directors in London as both a vital relief response to the Agra famine of 1837–1838 and a revenue-generating irrigation and navigation project. The canal, which brought agricultural prosperity to some areas, ultimately caused soil salinisation in others. Disaffection with the company also grew during this time, culminating in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which swept across the central Gangetic plain, and extended into Central India. Shaking the foundations of Company rule, the uprising was provoked by diverse resentments and perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms, harsh land taxes, and summary treatment of some wealthy landowners and princes.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
In untreated PPMS, the median time from onset to requiring a walking aid is estimated as seven years. In SPMS, a 2014 cohort study reported that people required a walking aid after an average of five years from the onset of SPMS, and were chair or bed-bound after an average of fifteen years. After diagnosis of MS, characteristics that predict a worse course are male sex, older age, and greater disability at the time of diagnosis; female sex is associated with a higher relapse rate. Spinal cord lesions and a higher number of initial lesions on MRI are predictive of a worse course. Early treatment leads to a better prognosis, but a higher relapse frequency when treated with DMTs is associated with a poorer prognosis. A 60-year longitudinal population study conducted in Norway found that those with MS had a life expectancy seven years shorter than the general population. Median life expectancy for RRMS patients was 77.8 years and 71.4 years for PPMS, compared to 81.8 years for the general population. Life expectancy for men was five years shorter than for women.
Atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization uses a solvent spray at atmospheric pressure. A spray of solvent is heated to relatively high temperatures (above 400 degrees Celsius), sprayed with high flow rates of nitrogen and the entire aerosol cloud is subjected to a corona discharge that creates ions with the evaporated solvent acting as the chemical ionization reagent gas. APCI is not as "soft" (low fragmentation) an ionization technique as ESI. Note that atmospheric pressure ionization (API) should not be used as a synonym for APCI.
== Medical Uses == Sorafenib is used as an oral drug which inhibits angiogenesis and tumor cell growth in VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 (inhibits the phosphorylation), PDGFRβ (platelet-derived growth factor receptor), RAF kinase, FLT3 (Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3) and KIT (stem cell factor receptor). Sorafenib is used in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. As of October 2018, it is in phase III of clinical trials for hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sunitinib is an oral drug that inhibits the phosphorylation of all the VEGF receptors, PDGFR-ß, KIT FLT3, CSF1R and GDNF. Sunitinib is used in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody, which binds selectively to VEGF. It is used as an injection therapy, often in combination with other drugs. It is used in combination with 5-fluorouracil as a first-line treatment of metastatic carcinoma in the colon or rectum. In advanced non-small cell lung cancer bevacizumab (Avastin) is used as a first-line treatment in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin. It can also be used in the treatment for breast cancer and kidney cancer. Lenvatinib and vandetanib are used for the treatment of progressive and locally advanced differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Pazopanib and axitinib are used orally for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. Cabozantinib has the same indication but it is only used on patients who have already received an anti-angiogenic therapy.
== History == The orexin neuropeptides were discovered in 1998 and the role of the orexin system in the etiology of narcolepsy was identified between 1999 and 2000. Subsequent research further established the role of the orexin system in sleep–wake regulation. Due to the promising potential of orexin system modulation in the treatment of sleep disorders, these findings led to translational efforts to bring orexin receptor modulators to medicine as therapeutic agents. Suvorexant was developed by Merck. It entered clinical development in 2006 and was first described in the medical literature in 2010. The medication was approved by the FDA for the treatment of insomnia in the United States on 13 August 2014. Suvorexant was initially released November 2014 in Japan, then later reached the United States in February 2015, Australia in November 2016, and Canada in November 2018. It was the first orexin receptor antagonist to be introduced for medical use, and was followed by lemborexant in 2019 and daridorexant in 2022. Development of almorexant (ACT-078573) and filorexant (MK-6096) was discontinued, while seltorexant (MIN-202, JNJ-42847922) and vornorexant (ORN-0829, TS-142) are still in clinical trials. Suvorexant marketing exclusivity in the United States was set to expire in January 2023 and patent protection is set to expire in 2029 to 2033.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. Major drug regulators have not approved GW501516 for treating any medical condition. Products sold as cardarine are typically unapproved research chemicals or supplements, so their contents and safety are not assured.
It is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a hormone and metabolic modulator. Athletes who test positive for GW501516 can face sanctions, including suspensions and loss of results.
Cardarine is a common or trade-style name, while GW501516 is the research code for the same chemical entity. Some sources also use Endurobol or GSK-516. The names refer to the same compound, not distinct drugs.
Cardarine is commonly known as GW501516 or GW-1516. These names refer to the same synthetic compound. It is not a brand-name approved medicine.