Canada and the four categories
A country, a chemical name and an approved use each tell us something different. This is the collection with those descriptions placed side by side.
Collection labels
I would arrange these entries by what they are before sorting them by where they appear online. A coenzyme, an experimental fragment and two prescription medicines have very different histories. Their most useful descriptions are specific enough to resist being swapped.
| Entry | Chemical identity | A result to remember |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | Synthetic fragment based on a gastric protein | Rat gastric-ulcer healing; only three human pilots in the 2025 review |
| NAD+ | Cellular coenzyme; NR and NMN are precursors | NR raised blood NAD+; human health benefits remain limited |
| Semaglutide | Engineered GLP-1 analogue | Fewer major heart events in SELECT and fewer major kidney events in FLOW |
| Tirzepatide | Synthetic GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist | Greater average weight reduction than semaglutide in SURMOUNT-5 |
There is no sensible overall winner in this table. A blood measurement, an ulcer experiment in rats and a cardiovascular event in a human trial answer different questions. I distrust a ranking that erases those differences.
What the records establish about approval
Semaglutide and tirzepatide have FDA-approved prescription formulations for defined uses. Tirzepatide's initial US diabetes approval was in May 2022, followed by weight management and later sleep apnoea indications. Semaglutide's uses also expanded over time. Approval describes a preparation and an indication in the jurisdiction making the decision.
BPC-157 has no approval as a medicine anywhere and is designated for laboratory research rather than human consumption. NAD+ has no approval as a drug. Its precursors are sold as supplements, with NMN's status disputed by the FDA because of its earlier investigation as a drug. Injectable NAD+ is typically compounded and is not FDA-approved.
The listed references does not establish Health Canada's current position on every entry. That blank cannot honestly be filled with an inference from the FDA. A current Canadian approval question needs a current Canadian regulatory record for the exact product and use.
Claims about where a substance was manufactured get a blank label from me until documentation appears. A Canadian website address, a study citation and the contents of a preparation are three separate things.
Sport and preparations
The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits BPC-157 at all times under its non-approved-substances category. NAD+ and the precursors discussed here are not prohibited in the records discussed here. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are not specifically prohibited in that record either; current sports rules can change.
A study result also has a preparation attached to it. Evidence from manufactured prescription medicine cannot verify a compounded preparation's identity or purity. The NAD+ capsule trials concern precursors, while injectable NAD+ brings different exposure and manufacturing questions. With BPC-157, uncertain content sits alongside the lack of large human trials.
The comparison ends with those details still visible. Import, possession and cross-border movement depend on the countries and the case; this collection cannot provide legal instructions for them. Individual treatment decisions require a licensed clinician who can review the person's health and medicines.