Sport Integrity Australia — peptides on the WADA-aligned prohibited list
Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) is the national anti-doping agency for Australia, replacing the former ASADA in 2020. SIA implements the WADA Code in Australia and administers the SIA Anti-Doping Policy aligned with the WADA Prohibited List. For Australian athletes in tested sports — AFL, NRL, cricket, tennis, swimming, athletics, cycling — research peptides fall under WADA S0 (non-approved substances) and are prohibited at all times. Sanctions follow the WADA framework: 2-year ban for first offence under S0.
Sport Integrity Australia was established by the Sport Integrity Australia Act 2020 to consolidate Australia's anti-doping, sport-integrity, and athlete-welfare functions into a single agency. SIA replaced the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and absorbed responsibilities from the Australian Sports Commission integrity unit. SIA implements the World Anti-Doping Code in Australia and administers the SIA Anti-Doping Policy aligned with the WADA Prohibited List 2026.
For Australian athletes in WADA-aligned sports, the rules are identical to USADA and other national anti-doping organisations. Research peptides fall under WADA S0 — "Non-approved substances" — and are prohibited at all times, in-competition and out-of-competition. BPC-157 was specified by name in the 2022 WADA list update; TB-500 is named in class S2.3 (growth factors), not S0; Epithalon, Selank, Semax and injectable GHK-Cu are not named, and S0 applies to them only if no government health authority has approved them for human therapeutic use.
AFL, NRL, and cricket integrity units have all sanctioned peptide-positive players in recent years. The 2013 Essendon supplements scandal — in which 34 AFL players were sanctioned for peptide use — remains the high-water mark of peptide enforcement in Australia and changed how AFL clubs source supplements. NRL has had multiple individual cases. Cricket Australia has had isolated cases. Sport Integrity Australia's investigations focus on established sports with regular testing programs; lower-tier sports have less consistent enforcement.
For athletes in tested sports, the practical posture is: do not use research peptides while subject to anti-doping testing. The Whereabouts requirements for tested athletes mean ABF interception of an inbound peptide shipment can also surface in SIA records — the agencies share intelligence. An athlete with a recent peptide order in their package history and a positive test would face a stronger case in their hearing.
For non-tested athletes — recreational, amateur, weekend warrior — SIA does not test you and WADA rules do not apply. The TGA / ABF framework still applies regardless of sport status. Most Australian biohacker and amateur-athlete peptide use happens in this category.
SIA also operates the Match-Fixing Code and the Australian National Athlete Education Program. Research-peptide use is one of multiple integrity issues athletes are educated about at registration; athletes typically receive mandatory anti-doping education that explicitly addresses research-chemical compounds. Ignorance is rarely accepted as a defence.
On Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs): WADA's International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions, a mandatory standard under the Code, says a TUE is granted only if the athlete shows that the substance is needed to treat a diagnosed medical condition supported by relevant clinical evidence, that it is an indicated treatment with no reasonable permitted therapeutic alternative, that it will not enhance performance beyond a return to normal health, and that the need is not a consequence of earlier prohibited use (ISTUE 2023, Article 4.2). The standard sets no separate requirement that the substance be an approved medicine; an application has to meet all four conditions. PeptideGuide has no data on how often TUEs are granted for research peptides.
15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protective protein in gastric juice. Most-researched peptide in the vendor market.
Synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4. Actively researched for soft-tissue repair.
Russian heptapeptide derived from tuftsin. Anxiolytic/nootropic research.
ACTH(4-10) analog. Investigated for cognitive and neuroprotective effects.
Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly tetrapeptide. Researched for circadian and telomere biology.
Gly-His-Lys copper complex. Researched for skin repair and mitochondrial function.
✓Pros
- SIA framework is well-documented; testing policies and consequences are predictable
- TUE process exists for documented medical need (all four ISTUE Article 4.2 conditions must be met)
- Athlete education is mandatory at registration — no informational gaps
×Cons
- BPC-157 named explicitly since 2022 — was the most-traded peptide pre-listing
- S0 catch-all covers other research peptides without listing
- SIA / ABF intelligence-sharing means customs interception can compound into anti-doping records
- Two years' ineligibility for a first S0 violation, four if intent is established
Who does Sport Integrity Australia test?
Athletes in WADA-aligned sports — AFL, NRL, cricket, tennis, swimming, athletics, cycling, and others. Major leagues conduct year-round in-competition and out-of-competition testing. Lower-tier sports have less consistent programs but are not exempt.
What sanctions apply for a research peptide positive?
For athletes in WADA-aligned sports: S0 (non-approved) substances are Specified Substances, so a first offence carries two years' ineligibility, or four if the anti-doping organisation establishes it was intentional (WADA Code 2021, Article 10.2). The athlete forfeits results, prizes, and rankings from the test date. SIA / WADA framework applies.
Did SIA sanction the 2013 Essendon AFL players?
ASADA (SIA's predecessor) sanctioned 34 Essendon AFL players in 2016 for peptide use. The case took 3 years to resolve and changed how AFL clubs source and manage supplements. The case remains the largest peptide-related anti-doping action in Australian sport history.
Can I get a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for BPC-157?
Only if the application meets all four conditions of WADA's International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions: a TUE is granted only if the athlete shows that the substance is needed to treat a diagnosed medical condition supported by relevant clinical evidence, that it is an indicated treatment with no reasonable permitted therapeutic alternative, that it will not enhance performance beyond a return to normal health, and that the need is not a consequence of earlier prohibited use (ISTUE 2023, Article 4.2). A legitimate injury covers only the first condition; the physician also has to show BPC-157 is an indicated treatment for it and that no reasonable permitted alternative exists. The standard sets no separate approved-medicine requirement. PeptideGuide has no data on how often such applications succeed.
Does SIA share data with ABF?
Yes — under inter-agency arrangements. An ABF interception of a research peptide order does not automatically trigger an SIA investigation, but it can surface in anti-doping cases as evidence if the athlete subsequently tests positive. The Whereabouts data SIA collects on tested athletes makes such cross-references straightforward.
What if I am a non-tested amateur — does SIA care?
SIA does not test or have jurisdiction over non-tested athletes. WADA rules do not apply to you. The TGA / ABF framework still applies regardless of sport status — that is the relevant regulatory framework for non-tested users.
More from this region.
Other articles covering this region's vendors, regulatory framework, and research peptides.
- 2026-10-14Earlier versions summarised the sanction as a 2-year ban for a first S0 offence regardless of intent. Under WADA Code Article 10.2 a first violation involving a Specified Substance carries four years if the anti-doping organisation establishes intent and two years otherwise, as the page's FAQ already said; the summary lines now match.
- 2026-10-14Earlier versions said TUEs require the substance to be approved as a therapeutic good and are "rare to non-existent" or "almost never granted" for research peptides. WADA's International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (Article 4.2) sets four conditions and no approved-medicine requirement, and PeptideGuide holds no data on how often TUEs are granted; the text now states the standard's conditions.
- 2026-10-08Earlier versions said TB-500 falls under the S0 catch-all and gave up to four years only for aggravated cases. The 2026 WADA list names TB-500 in S2.3 (growth factors), and under WADA Code Article 10.2 an S0 violation carries four years if intent is established.