Peptide Legal Status in Australia — Regulatory Reference
This page is a plain-language summary of publicly available regulatory information. It is general information only and is not legal advice. Regulations change. Consult the TGA directly or obtain independent legal advice for your circumstances.
Unapproved therapeutic goods and the ARTG
Most peptide products supplied in Australia are unapproved therapeutic goods. That means they are not entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), the national register of products that have been evaluated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Because these products are not on the ARTG, they have not been assessed by the TGA for safety, quality or effectiveness.
Source: TGA media release — compliance focus on unapproved peptide products
Scheduled peptides
On 1 June 2024, BPC-157 was added to Schedule 4 (Prescription Only Medicine) of the Poisons Standard, together with an Appendix D entry prohibiting possession without appropriate authorisation.
The decision followed 48 referrals for importation of BPC-157 received by the TGA since 1 July 2022. Australia was the first country to schedule BPC-157 by name.
Semaglutide, tirzepatide and tesamorelin are Schedule 4 prescription-only medicines in Australia.
Source: Notice of final decisions to amend (or not amend) the current Poisons Standard
The Personal Importation Scheme
The Personal Importation Scheme allows individuals to import goods that are not on the ARTG, under strict conditions.
- The import must be for the person's own use or for an immediate family member, defined as a parent, grandparent, spouse, de facto spouse, child or ward.
- The goods cannot be sold, supplied or given to any other person.
- If the medicine is prescription-only in Australia, a valid Australian prescription or written authority must be held at the time of importation.
- A maximum of a 3-month supply may be imported at one time at the maximum prescribed dose, and no more than a 15-month supply in any 12-month period.
TGA compliance priorities for 2026 and 2027
On 10 June 2026 the TGA formally added unapproved peptide products to its priority compliance focus areas. The TGA is prioritising action against unlawful importation, manufacture, advertising and supply.
Regulatory responses may include infringement notices, product seizures, import interventions, and civil or criminal penalties.
A joint operation with the Australian Border Force and Victoria Police seized peptide products, performance and image enhancing drugs and illicit steroids with an estimated street value in excess of $2 million.
Source: TGA media release — compliance focus on unapproved peptide products
What “research use only” means
A “research use only” label indicates that the supplier is not supplying the product as a therapeutic good. It does not place a product outside the Therapeutic Goods Act.
It does not authorise human or veterinary use, and it does not exempt a supplier from compliance obligations. State and territory legislation also applies to the possession and handling of research chemicals.
Veterinary products are separately regulated
Agricultural and veterinary chemicals are regulated by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), not the TGA.
Without APVMA approval, an agvet chemical cannot be legally imported, marketed, supplied or used in Australia.
Source: APVMA — Importing agricultural or veterinary chemicals
How this applies to Strand Peptide Research
All products supplied by Strand Peptide Research are supplied strictly for laboratory research use only. They are not therapeutic goods, are not on the ARTG, and are not approved for human or veterinary use.
Buyers are responsible for compliance with all applicable Commonwealth, state and territory legislation.