Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of GW-0742 and Cardarine (GW-501516) — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
GW-0742 is a synthetic small-molecule PPARδ (PPAR-beta/delta) agonist developed by GlaxoSmithKline as a phenoxyacetic-acid/thiazole derivative—not a peptide or hormone. It exhibits ~1000-fold selectivity for human PPARδ (EC50 = 1.1 nM) over PPARα and PPARγ. Never advanced past preclinical development, GW-0742 has no approved human therapeutic use and no registered clinical trials. It is prohibited at all times under WADA as a member of the banned PPARδ-agonist class (Hormone and Metabolic Modulators), though not individually named on the list.
Cardarine (GW-501516) is a synthetic small-molecule PPARδ agonist — not a SARM and not a peptide, despite gray-market marketing that groups it with SARMs. Developed by GSK and taken into human lipid trials, its clinical development was discontinued around 2007 after rodent carcinogenicity findings. It has no regulatory approval anywhere, is WADA-prohibited at all times, and is sold only as a gray-market research chemical.
GW-0742
Cardarine (GW-501516)
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
GW-0742
Cardarine (GW-501516)
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
GW-0742
3
COAs
99.6%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Cardarine (GW-501516)
2
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
1
Labs
No human efficacy or safety data exist; the only identified human exposure is a single 15 mg oral dose administered to volunteers solely to characterize urinary metabolites for an anti-doping detection assay—a bioanalytical study yielding no therapeutic or safety information. Preclinical rodent findings include: oral GW-0742 (30 mg/kg/day × 3 weeks) reduced right ventricular hypertrophy and systolic pressure in rats with chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension but did not prevent pulmonary vascular remodeling; intraperitoneal GW-0742 (0.1 mg/kg) improved survival and reduced intestinal injury, leukocyte activation, cytokines, and apoptosis markers in a mouse gut ischemia/reperfusion model; and GW-0742 ameliorated hepatic steatosis, ER stress, and lung inflammation in various mouse models. Critically, mouse studies also demonstrated hepatomegaly, hepatic/skeletal-muscle peroxisome proliferation, and skeletal myopathy driven predominantly by off-target PPARα cross-activation, indicating mechanism-based toxicity risk.
Key references
Completed GSK-sponsored human trials in low-HDL/dyslipidemia subjects (2.5–10 mg/day, 12 weeks) improved lipids (HDL-C +16.9%, triglycerides −16.9%, LDL −7.3%; Sprecher et al., 2012). GSK halted development around 2007 after a 2-year rodent carcinogenicity study reported tumors across multiple organs; a 2019 mouse study found GW-501516 accelerated colitis-associated colorectal cancer. A published human case report documented severe rhabdomyolysis and hepatotoxicity from self-administration. Never approved for any indication; not a peptide.
GW-0742 and Cardarine (GW-501516) are both in the Metabolic category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs