AC-262536

updated

AC-262536 is an experimental non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) sold as a milder SARM for lean mass. No controlled human study exists: its efficacy evidence is one 2-week study in castrated male rats, and a PubMed search on 9 October 2026 for AC-262536 or AC262536 returned 5 records, none a trial in people. Human contact with the compound in the literature is analytical, not clinical.

Non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator

  • AC-262536 is a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (PubChem CID 44512434, C18H18N2O, molecular weight 278.3), not a steroid and not a testosterone derivative.
  • In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH.
  • A PubMed search on 9 October 2026 for AC-262536 or AC262536 returned 5 records, none a trial in people, and a ClinicalTrials.gov query the same day returned no studies.
  • The only in vivo metabolism work is in two Thoroughbred horses. Human contact in the literature is analytical, such as a hair screen covering nine SARMs.
  • No FDA approval or label exists, and WADA's 2026 Prohibited List bans selective androgen receptor modulators as a class.
  • A systematic review of SARM safety (33 studies, 1,447 exposed participants) reports class signals including liver injury, and none of the exposures was AC-262536.

What is AC-262536, and what is its regulatory status?

AC-262536 is a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator, not a steroid and not a testosterone derivative. It has no FDA match or label, and WADA's 2026 list bans selective androgen receptor modulators as a class.

AC-262536 (also written AC262536 and AC-262) is PubChem CID 44512434, C18H18N2O, molecular weight 278.3, CAS 870888-46-3. PubChem also lists a second CAS-format synonym, 871032-12-1. Chemically it is 4-(3-endo-hydroxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-8-yl)naphthalene-1-carbonitrile, a non-steroidal naphthalene carbonitrile.

An openFDA Drugs@FDA substance-name query for AC-262536 returned no matches on 9 October 2026, and a DailyMed search returned no label. A full-text search of the current eCFR for AC-262536 returned 0 sections, so it is not named in the DEA schedules at 21 CFR part 1308. Legal status outside the United States is not covered here.

The WADA 2026 Prohibited List, in effect 1 January 2026, bans selective androgen receptor modulators as a class under S1.2. Under S0 it separately bans any pharmacological substance with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use. A paper on its metabolism in horses states that AC-262536 is not available therapeutically but is widely available to buy online as an illegal supplement product.

PubChem: AC-262536 identity

Chemical identity record

PubChem, National Library of Medicine. Compound summary for CID 44512434, AC-262536.

AC-262536 is PubChem CID 44512434, C18H18N2O, molecular weight 278.3, CAS 870888-46-3 (a second CAS-format synonym, 871032-12-1, is also listed). It is a non-steroidal naphthalene carbonitrile, 4-(3-endo-hydroxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-8-yl)naphthalene-1-carbonitrile, not a steroid and not a testosterone derivative.

Participants / model
Chemical identity, not a clinical population
Treatment
Defined molecule
Follow-up
Not applicable
Study design
Chemical database record
Funding
not stated in the source

Identity record only. It says nothing about activity or safety in people.

Read the original source
WADA 2026 list; no FDA match, no eCFR entry

Regulatory record

World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in effect 1 January 2026. US status from an openFDA Drugs@FDA substance-name query, a DailyMed search and a full-text search of the current eCFR, all run on 9 October 2026.

An openFDA Drugs@FDA substance-name query for AC-262536 returned no matches on 9 October 2026, and a DailyMed search returned no label. A full-text search of the current eCFR for AC-262536 returned 0 sections, so it is not named in the DEA schedules at 21 CFR part 1308. The WADA 2026 Prohibited List bans selective androgen receptor modulators as a class under S1.2, and separately bans under S0 any pharmacological substance with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use.

Participants / model
Regulatory and anti-doping records, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
List in effect 1 January 2026
Study design
Regulator and anti-doping records
Funding
not stated in the source

Legal status outside the United States is not covered.

Read the original source
Two horses: oral dose, urine, plasma and hair

Animal study

Cutler C et al. Drug Test Anal. 2021;13(2):369-385. PMID 32959959.

After oral administration to two Thoroughbred horses, nine phase I metabolites were identified in vitro, four were detected in urine and three in plasma alongside parent drug, conjugates were primarily glucuronides, and parent AC-262536 was incorporated into hair with no metabolites detected in hair. The paper states that AC-262536 is not available therapeutically but is widely available to buy online as an illegal supplement product.

Participants / model
Two Thoroughbred horses; equine in vitro systems
Treatment
Oral AC-262536
Follow-up
not stated in the source
Study design
Metabolism and detection study for doping control
Funding
not stated in the source

The only published in vivo metabolism and elimination work. It is horse data and does not describe effects or pharmacokinetics in people.

Read the original source

What did the rat and horse studies find?

The only efficacy data are a 2-week study in castrated male rats, where AC-262536 improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Horse work covers metabolism only.

AC-262536 came out of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. In a cell-based functional assay it was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone. The dose and route are not stated in the source record.

This is the whole primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay, published in 2008, with no follow-up program.

The only in vivo metabolism and elimination work is in horses. After oral dosing in two Thoroughbred horses, nine phase I metabolites were identified in vitro, four were detected in urine and three in plasma alongside parent drug, and conjugates were primarily glucuronides. Parent AC-262536 was incorporated into hair, with no metabolites detected in hair. This is doping-control work and does not describe effects in people.

Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source
Two horses: oral dose, urine, plasma and hair

Animal study

Cutler C et al. Drug Test Anal. 2021;13(2):369-385. PMID 32959959.

After oral administration to two Thoroughbred horses, nine phase I metabolites were identified in vitro, four were detected in urine and three in plasma alongside parent drug, conjugates were primarily glucuronides, and parent AC-262536 was incorporated into hair with no metabolites detected in hair. The paper states that AC-262536 is not available therapeutically but is widely available to buy online as an illegal supplement product.

Participants / model
Two Thoroughbred horses; equine in vitro systems
Treatment
Oral AC-262536
Follow-up
not stated in the source
Study design
Metabolism and detection study for doping control
Funding
not stated in the source

The only published in vivo metabolism and elimination work. It is horse data and does not describe effects or pharmacokinetics in people.

Read the original source

Has AC-262536 been studied in people?

No. A PubMed search on 9 October 2026 for AC-262536 or AC262536 returned 5 records, and none was a trial in people, measured lean mass, body composition or strength, or reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query the same day returned no studies.

The 5 records were the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers covering equine and bovine blood, human urine and human hair. No controlled human study of AC-262536 exists.

Human contact with AC-262536 in the literature is analytical. A validated UHPLC-MS/MS hair screen covering nine SARMs, including AC262536, was applied to a doping case, and the three SARMs detected in that case were andarine, ostarine and S23. The method shows laboratories expect to find AC-262536 in people. It does not show what the compound does in people.

No record in the search measures gonadotropin or testosterone suppression in people.

PubMed: 5 records, none a trial in people

PubMed search record

PubMed search for AC-262536 OR AC262536, run 9 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536, run the same day.

The search returned 5 records in total: the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers (equine and bovine blood, human urine, human hair). None was a trial in people, none measured lean mass, body composition or strength in people, and none reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536 on the same date returned no studies.

Participants / model
Records reviewed, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
Search run on 9 October 2026
Study design
Dated literature and registry search
Funding
not stated in the source

An absence finding as of 9 October 2026, not proof that no unpublished work exists.

Read the original source
Hair method covering nine SARMs; one doping case

Human study

Gheddar L et al. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2021;1187:123048. PMID 34814052.

A validated UHPLC-MS/MS hair screen covering nine SARMs, including AC262536, was applied to a doping case. The three SARMs actually detected in that case were andarine, ostarine and S23, not AC-262536.

Participants / model
Human hair samples; one doping case
Treatment
Not applicable, analytical method
Follow-up
Not applicable
Study design
Analytical method study
Funding
not stated in the source

The method shows laboratories expect to find AC-262536 in people. It does not show what the compound does in people.

Read the original source

Does AC-262536 build lean mass with milder effects?

Not shown in people. Suppliers describe a milder SARM for lean mass and body composition and concede that no controlled human performance data exist. That concession is correct, and the lean mass case rests on castrated rats alone.

The anabolic signal is real in castrated rats. In people, lean mass, strength and body composition have never been measured, and no hormone measurement in a person has been published.

The rat data support smaller prostate and seminal vesicle effects than testosterone, but the same study reports that AC-262536 suppressed elevated LH. This page does not describe suppression as mild or absent, because the only suppression data are rat LH.

Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source
PubMed: 5 records, none a trial in people

PubMed search record

PubMed search for AC-262536 OR AC262536, run 9 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536, run the same day.

The search returned 5 records in total: the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers (equine and bovine blood, human urine, human hair). None was a trial in people, none measured lean mass, body composition or strength in people, and none reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536 on the same date returned no studies.

Participants / model
Records reviewed, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
Search run on 9 October 2026
Study design
Dated literature and registry search
Funding
not stated in the source

An absence finding as of 9 October 2026, not proof that no unpublished work exists.

Read the original source

How does AC-262536 act on the androgen receptor?

In a cell assay it was a potent, selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In castrated rats it improved anabolic parameters and suppressed elevated LH. No half-life or other pharmacokinetic value is reported.

AC-262536 is a non-steroidal androgen receptor ligand. Its partial agonist activity relative to testosterone was measured in a cell-based functional assay. In castrated male rats the standout anabolic parameter was levator ani growth, with weak androgenic effects in the prostate and seminal vesicles.

AC-262536 suppressed elevated LH in those rats. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human. No half-life, bioavailability or other pharmacokinetic value is reported in the sources reviewed.

Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source

What is known about the safety of AC-262536?

No human safety data exist for AC-262536 itself. A systematic review of SARMs in generally healthy adults reported class signals, including drug-induced liver injury case reports, and none of its exposures was AC-262536.

A systematic review of SARM safety in generally healthy individuals covered 33 studies and 2,136 patients, 1,447 of whom were exposed to a SARM. It found case reports of drug-induced liver injury (15), Achilles tendon rupture (1), rhabdomyolysis (1) and mild reversible liver enzyme elevation (1). Elevated ALT was commonly reported in trials of other SARMs, at a mean of 7.1% across trials. None of the included exposures was AC-262536.

The review's authors state that SARMs are not FDA approved, that obtaining them for personal use is illegal, and that recreational use should be strongly discouraged.

For AC-262536 itself, no human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event has been published. The only suppression measurement is the LH drop in castrated rats.

SARM class safety: 33 studies, 1,447 exposed

Systematic review and meta-analysis

Vignali JD et al. J Xenobiot. 2023;13(2):218-236. PMID 37218811.

In 33 studies with 2,136 patients, of whom 1,447 were exposed to a SARM, the review found case reports of drug-induced liver injury (15), Achilles tendon rupture (1), rhabdomyolysis (1) and mild reversible liver enzyme elevation (1). Elevated ALT was commonly reported in trials of other SARMs, at a mean of 7.1% across trials. The authors state that SARMs are not FDA approved, that obtaining them for personal use is illegal, and that recreational use should be strongly discouraged. None of the included exposures was AC-262536.

Participants / model
Generally healthy adults across pooled studies and case reports
Treatment
Various SARMs, chiefly oral
Follow-up
Varied by study
Study design
Systematic review
Funding
not stated in the source

Class-level evidence only. No exposure to AC-262536 was included, so none of these events is attributed to it.

Read the original source
Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source
PubMed: 5 records, none a trial in people

PubMed search record

PubMed search for AC-262536 OR AC262536, run 9 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536, run the same day.

The search returned 5 records in total: the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers (equine and bovine blood, human urine, human hair). None was a trial in people, none measured lean mass, body composition or strength in people, and none reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536 on the same date returned no studies.

Participants / model
Records reviewed, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
Search run on 9 October 2026
Study design
Dated literature and registry search
Funding
not stated in the source

An absence finding as of 9 October 2026, not proof that no unpublished work exists.

Read the original source

Why does AC-262536 sit in D tier?

The efficacy case is one 2-week study in castrated male rats, with no registered trial and no human exposure data of any kind. The liver, tendon and muscle signals belong to the SARM class, not to this compound.

AC-262536 has five indexed papers in total, one of which is its originating pharmacology study. The whole efficacy case is levator ani growth in castrated rats in a 2-week experiment, with no follow-up program, no registered trial and no human exposure data.

The class-level liver, tendon and muscle findings were not attributed to AC-262536, so D reflects missing evidence about the compound rather than a documented human harm.

Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source
PubMed: 5 records, none a trial in people

PubMed search record

PubMed search for AC-262536 OR AC262536, run 9 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536, run the same day.

The search returned 5 records in total: the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers (equine and bovine blood, human urine, human hair). None was a trial in people, none measured lean mass, body composition or strength in people, and none reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536 on the same date returned no studies.

Participants / model
Records reviewed, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
Search run on 9 October 2026
Study design
Dated literature and registry search
Funding
not stated in the source

An absence finding as of 9 October 2026, not proof that no unpublished work exists.

Read the original source
SARM class safety: 33 studies, 1,447 exposed

Systematic review and meta-analysis

Vignali JD et al. J Xenobiot. 2023;13(2):218-236. PMID 37218811.

In 33 studies with 2,136 patients, of whom 1,447 were exposed to a SARM, the review found case reports of drug-induced liver injury (15), Achilles tendon rupture (1), rhabdomyolysis (1) and mild reversible liver enzyme elevation (1). Elevated ALT was commonly reported in trials of other SARMs, at a mean of 7.1% across trials. The authors state that SARMs are not FDA approved, that obtaining them for personal use is illegal, and that recreational use should be strongly discouraged. None of the included exposures was AC-262536.

Participants / model
Generally healthy adults across pooled studies and case reports
Treatment
Various SARMs, chiefly oral
Follow-up
Varied by study
Study design
Systematic review
Funding
not stated in the source

Class-level evidence only. No exposure to AC-262536 was included, so none of these events is attributed to it.

Read the original source

Studies and sources

PubChem: AC-262536 identity

Chemical identity record

PubChem, National Library of Medicine. Compound summary for CID 44512434, AC-262536.

AC-262536 is PubChem CID 44512434, C18H18N2O, molecular weight 278.3, CAS 870888-46-3 (a second CAS-format synonym, 871032-12-1, is also listed). It is a non-steroidal naphthalene carbonitrile, 4-(3-endo-hydroxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-8-yl)naphthalene-1-carbonitrile, not a steroid and not a testosterone derivative.

Participants / model
Chemical identity, not a clinical population
Treatment
Defined molecule
Follow-up
Not applicable
Study design
Chemical database record
Funding
not stated in the source

Identity record only. It says nothing about activity or safety in people.

Read the original source
Originating study: cell assay and 2 weeks in castrated rats

Animal study

Piu F et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;109(1-2):129-37. PMID 18164613.

In a cell-based functional assay AC-262536 was a potent and selective androgen receptor ligand with partial agonist activity relative to testosterone. In a 2-week study in castrated male rats it significantly improved anabolic parameters, especially levator ani growth, and suppressed elevated LH. Prostate and seminal vesicle weights showed what the authors called weak androgenic effects, in sharp contrast to testosterone.

Participants / model
Castrated male rats; transfected cell assay
Treatment
AC-262536; route not stated in the abstract
Follow-up
2 weeks (rat study)
Study design
Preclinical pharmacology study (cell assay and in vivo rat study)
Funding
not stated in the source

Originating pharmacology paper from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. This is the entire primary pharmacology record: castrated rats and a cell assay. The paper reports no measure of suppression in any human.

Read the original source
Two horses: oral dose, urine, plasma and hair

Animal study

Cutler C et al. Drug Test Anal. 2021;13(2):369-385. PMID 32959959.

After oral administration to two Thoroughbred horses, nine phase I metabolites were identified in vitro, four were detected in urine and three in plasma alongside parent drug, conjugates were primarily glucuronides, and parent AC-262536 was incorporated into hair with no metabolites detected in hair. The paper states that AC-262536 is not available therapeutically but is widely available to buy online as an illegal supplement product.

Participants / model
Two Thoroughbred horses; equine in vitro systems
Treatment
Oral AC-262536
Follow-up
not stated in the source
Study design
Metabolism and detection study for doping control
Funding
not stated in the source

The only published in vivo metabolism and elimination work. It is horse data and does not describe effects or pharmacokinetics in people.

Read the original source
Hair method covering nine SARMs; one doping case

Human study

Gheddar L et al. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2021;1187:123048. PMID 34814052.

A validated UHPLC-MS/MS hair screen covering nine SARMs, including AC262536, was applied to a doping case. The three SARMs actually detected in that case were andarine, ostarine and S23, not AC-262536.

Participants / model
Human hair samples; one doping case
Treatment
Not applicable, analytical method
Follow-up
Not applicable
Study design
Analytical method study
Funding
not stated in the source

The method shows laboratories expect to find AC-262536 in people. It does not show what the compound does in people.

Read the original source
SARM class safety: 33 studies, 1,447 exposed

Systematic review and meta-analysis

Vignali JD et al. J Xenobiot. 2023;13(2):218-236. PMID 37218811.

In 33 studies with 2,136 patients, of whom 1,447 were exposed to a SARM, the review found case reports of drug-induced liver injury (15), Achilles tendon rupture (1), rhabdomyolysis (1) and mild reversible liver enzyme elevation (1). Elevated ALT was commonly reported in trials of other SARMs, at a mean of 7.1% across trials. The authors state that SARMs are not FDA approved, that obtaining them for personal use is illegal, and that recreational use should be strongly discouraged. None of the included exposures was AC-262536.

Participants / model
Generally healthy adults across pooled studies and case reports
Treatment
Various SARMs, chiefly oral
Follow-up
Varied by study
Study design
Systematic review
Funding
not stated in the source

Class-level evidence only. No exposure to AC-262536 was included, so none of these events is attributed to it.

Read the original source
WADA 2026 list; no FDA match, no eCFR entry

Regulatory record

World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in effect 1 January 2026. US status from an openFDA Drugs@FDA substance-name query, a DailyMed search and a full-text search of the current eCFR, all run on 9 October 2026.

An openFDA Drugs@FDA substance-name query for AC-262536 returned no matches on 9 October 2026, and a DailyMed search returned no label. A full-text search of the current eCFR for AC-262536 returned 0 sections, so it is not named in the DEA schedules at 21 CFR part 1308. The WADA 2026 Prohibited List bans selective androgen receptor modulators as a class under S1.2, and separately bans under S0 any pharmacological substance with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use.

Participants / model
Regulatory and anti-doping records, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
List in effect 1 January 2026
Study design
Regulator and anti-doping records
Funding
not stated in the source

Legal status outside the United States is not covered.

Read the original source
PubMed: 5 records, none a trial in people

PubMed search record

PubMed search for AC-262536 OR AC262536, run 9 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536, run the same day.

The search returned 5 records in total: the ACADIA rat and cell pharmacology paper, the equine metabolism study, and three analytical method papers (equine and bovine blood, human urine, human hair). None was a trial in people, none measured lean mass, body composition or strength in people, and none reported a human dose, pharmacokinetic value or adverse event. A ClinicalTrials.gov query for AC-262536 on the same date returned no studies.

Participants / model
Records reviewed, not a population
Treatment
Not applicable
Follow-up
Search run on 9 October 2026
Study design
Dated literature and registry search
Funding
not stated in the source

An absence finding as of 9 October 2026, not proof that no unpublished work exists.

Read the original source

Why is AC-262536 in D tier?

D fits a compound whose entire efficacy case is levator ani growth in castrated rats in a 2-week experiment, with no follow-up program, no registered trial and no human exposure data of any kind. The liver, tendon and muscle signals in the SARM literature belong to the class and were not attributed to this compound, so the grade reflects missing evidence rather than a documented human harm.