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Is hCG Legal? FDA, Compounding and WADA Status

hCG's FDA status, compounding rules and anti-doping status, with a dated timeline of every change we track.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureGonadotropinUpdated
FDA status
Approved (prescription only)
PCAC vote
Not reviewed
not on the Jul 2026 PCAC agenda
WADA
Prohibited (S2.2.1)
In and out of competition
Not legal adviceStatus reflects public FDA and WADA records on the date shown. Rules differ by country and state.

Current status

FDA approved (prescription only)

hCG is FDA approved (prescription only). Products sold as research chemicals are not the approved drug and are not checked by the FDA.

hCG: regulatory status by country
CountryStatusSource
United StatesApprovedApproved by FDA as chorionic gonadotropin products, e.g. Novarel (Ferring) and Pregnyl (Organon) (DailyMed labels; the openFDA Drugs@FDA search for chorionic gonadotropin returned no matches). The labels state hCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in obesity.FDA labelchecked 2 Oct 2026

Timeline

No FDA, advisory-committee or WADA action specific to hCG found in our records (checked 2 Oct 2026).
Every peptide on the FDA tracker

Compounding and research-use sellers

  • Category 2 is the FDA's list of bulk substances it flagged as raising significant safety concerns. Compounding pharmacies are not expected to compound from them while they are on it.
  • The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) advises the FDA on which substances belong on the 503A bulks list that pharmacies may compound from. Its votes are advice; the FDA decides.
  • "Research use only" products are sold outside these rules and are not checked by the FDA for identity, purity or dose.

Sport and drug testing

Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.1)

Chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is prohibited for male athletes (S2.2.1, testosterone-stimulating peptides). The list limits this class to males.

Outside the US

Rules differ by country. What each regulator's own records show, with the date we checked:

hCG: regulatory status by country
CountryStatusSource
United KingdomApprovedemc lists Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa); an emc search for "chorionic gonadotrophin" returned no results.medicines.org.ukchecked 2 Oct 2026
CanadaApprovedHealth Canada DPD lists Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin) as Marketed.health-products.canada.cachecked 2 Oct 2026
AustraliaApprovedRegistered in the ARTG (TGA search for "choriogonadotropin" on 2 Oct 2026).tga.gov.auchecked 2 Oct 2026
European UnionApprovedCentrally authorised in the EU as Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa).ema.europa.euchecked 2 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is hCG FDA approved?

hCG is FDA approved (prescription only). Products sold as research chemicals are not the approved drug and are not checked by the FDA.

Is hCG legal to buy?

As an approved drug it requires a prescription in the US. Products sold online as research chemicals "not for human use" are not the approved drug.

Is hCG banned by WADA?

Yes. Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.1), in and out of competition.

More on hCG

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.Half-lifeWhat is measured, by route, and what is not.

Sources

  1. 1World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2NOVAREL ® (chorionic gonadotropin) for injection, for intramuscular use Initial U.S. Approval: 1974FDA label, DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3United Kingdom: emc lists Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa); an emc search for "chorionic gonadotrophin" returned no results.Electronic Medicines Compendium (UK) · 2026medicines.org.ukAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Canada: Health Canada DPD lists Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin) as Marketed.Health Canada · 2026health-products.canada.caAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Australia: Registered in the ARTG (TGA search for "choriogonadotropin" on 2 Oct 2026).Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia) · 2026tga.gov.auAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6European Union: Centrally authorised in the EU as Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa).European Medicines Agency · 2026ema.europa.euAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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