The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting members of the public not to purchase or consume three bodybuilding products labelled to contain chemicals still under research and which have not been approved for medical use in Singapore. These chemicals can cause serious harm. The products are sold online by Enhanced Athlete Singapore.

2 The safety profiles of these research chemicals have not been established. For example, one of the chemicals GW501516 (Cardarine) was found to be toxic and has been reported to cause cancers in animal studies. The three products are:

Please refer to Annex A of the pdf version for pictures of the products.

3 HSA has received feedback that the products, sold locally on social media platforms, are marketed to increase muscle mass and strength as well as enhance athletic performance. Each product is labelled “Not for human use/consumption” and carries warnings of side effects, including serious bodily injury and death. There are no dosing instructions on the product labels. Given these warnings on the label, consumers taking these products are risking their health and safety.  

ADVISORY TO CONSUMERS

4 You are advised to:

• Stop taking these products immediately and consult a doctor if you are feeling unwell.
• Avoid using drugs or potent chemicals to enhance athletic performance or to increase muscle mass and strength. The harmful and potentially deadly adverse effects are not worth it.
• Be cautious when purchasing health products online. Do not buy from unknown websites or from persons posting offers on discussion forms or blogs as these products may contain potent ingredients or be counterfeit or substandard.
• Consider buying from websites with an established retail presence in Singapore.
• Visit www.healthdangers.sg to learn more about the dangers of buying health products from dubious sources.

BACKGROUND ON THE LABELLED RESEARCH CHEMICALS

5 All three labelled chemicals have not been approved for medical use and their safety profiles have not been established. One of them, GW501516 (cardarine), was previously being developed for medical use overseas but it was found to cause cancers in mice and rats during animal safety studies. All subsequent studies on GW501516 were halted in 2006. Due to these safety concerns, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued an alert on GW501516 in 2013, which was deemed a ‘black market substance’, to warn users of the serious toxicities associated with its use.

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
20 OCTOBER 2017