Health Canada's 2025 peptide advisories, explained

Covers advisories dated 1 April, 14 April and 1 August 2025. This page written and reviewed 12 October 2026.

In 2025, Health Canada published at least three public advisories about peptide drugs it had not authorized. The first, on 1 April, was about products seized from a wellness centre in Calgary. The second, on 14 April, was about products sold by a Canadian online seller. The third, on 1 August, was about products seized from, and sold by, another Canadian online seller. All three say that these peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada, and that Health Canada had not authorized the products involved.

Each advisory names the business it concerns. We do not name them in our words; the links are in the Sources panel.

1 April 2025: products seized from a wellness centre

The 1 April advisory sets out how Health Canada sees these products:

"most injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Apr 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

It says the products were not authorized:

"Health Canada has not authorized any of the products seized"

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Apr 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

And it gives one line of advice:

"Do not buy or use unauthorized drugs."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Apr 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

14 April 2025: products sold by an online seller

Two weeks later, Health Canada published an advisory about a Canadian online seller. It repeats the prescription-drug position, in these words:

"injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada"

Health Canada advisory, 14 Apr 2025, retrieved 4 October 2026.

It then adds the line about authorization numbers that the library uses on its DIN page:

"Authorized health products have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM)."

Health Canada advisory, 14 Apr 2025, retrieved 4 October 2026.

In plain words: an authorized health product in Canada carries one of three eight-digit numbers. Our page on DIN, NPN and how to check a product explains each and how to look one up.

1 August 2025: products seized and sold by another online seller

The August advisory states the position in its shortest form:

"Injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Aug 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

It also says:

"Selling unauthorized drugs is illegal in Canada."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Aug 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

And its advice section adds two lines about buying:

"Only buy prescription drugs from licensed pharmacies."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Aug 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

"Be aware of the risks of buying health products online."

Health Canada public advisory, 1 Aug 2025, retrieved 12 October 2026.

How the wording reads across the notices

The 1 April advisory says "most injectable peptides" are regulated as prescription drugs. The 14 April and 1 August advisories drop the word "most". And Health Canada's April 2026 advisory states the position for peptides in general:

"In Canada, peptides are generally regulated as prescription drugs."

Health Canada public advisory, 9 Apr 2026, retrieved 4 October 2026.

We report the wording as it stands in each notice; we do not read a legal change into it. For what the April 2026 advisory says in full, including what it says about research-use labels, see the April 2026 advisory, explained and what "research use only" means in Canada.

What a reader can check

All three advisories come back to authorization. The simplest check is the one Health Canada repeats in its April 2026 advisory:

"Check the label before you buy. Authorized prescription drugs in Canada have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN). You can also check whether a drug has been authorized for sale by searching Health Canada's Drug Product Database."

Health Canada public advisory, 9 Apr 2026, retrieved 4 October 2026.

The 14 April 2025 advisory, quoted above, names the other two numbers an authorized health product can carry: an NPN or a DIN-HM.

Where these fit

These three sit in the middle of a longer list that starts in June 2024 and runs to a court injunction in July 2026. The dated list is on Health Canada and peptides: the notices, dated.

This page reports three advisories. It says nothing about any other seller, and it is not medical or legal advice.

New notices are added to the library as Health Canada publishes them. Get one email when a notice is added.