Health Canada has been granted a permanent injunction against the Quebec-based online retailer Canlab Researchpreventing the company from selling unauthorized injectable peptides in Canada.
the agency declares that Canlab Research had been “selling unauthorized peptide drugs on various websites and promoting them with many unproven health claims, despite repeated enforcement actions by Health Canada.”
This comes after consumers were urged not to buy unauthorized injectable peptides from Canlab Research in December 2023 because of the “serious health risks these products pose” and following a ministerial order “directing the company to stop advertising and selling unauthorized health products because of the health risks to Canadians,” Health Canada said in a press release on Wednesday.
“According to the order, Canlab Research and its representatives may not manufacture, test, distribute or sell unauthorized injectable peptides, nor may they assist others to do the same. They may also not advertise or assist others in advertising these products, including on any website or social media platform accessible with a Canadian Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Peptide drugs affect body functions and are often used for body building, anti-aging or athletic performance enhancement. Currently, injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada and must be authorized by Health Canada before they can be sold.
The agency issued a warning to Canadian consumers in April about it think twice before injecting peptides bought online, stating that the products can “change the way your body works and are often promoted online and on social media for ‘anti-aging, weight loss, body building, athletic performance, injury recovery, sleep, mental focus or general well-being'”.
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The risks of taking unauthorized peptides can range from “hormonal imbalance, mood changes, blood sugar imbalance, liver or kidney damage, blood clots and the growth of cancerous tumors,” according to the agency.
Prescription drugs authorized in Canada have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN) on the label. Consumers can also check if a drug is authorized for sale by searching Health Canada’s Drug Products Database.
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