Oxymetholone

an oral 17-alpha-alkylated anemia drug with legal FDA approval but no active US marketing, controlled human lean-mass data, severe dose-related hepatic toxicity, and animal-only terminal half-life.

tier S · androgens · +4.2 kg lean body mass at 100 mg/day in one 12-week RCT

verdict

oxymetholone has clear human anabolic and wasting outcomes, and those same trials document a severe hepatic and lipid cost that cannot be separated from the evidence grade.

if you are asking whether Anadrol is FDA-approved now — NDA 016848 remains listed as approved, but Anadrol-50 products are discontinued and no current DailyMed marketing label was located. legal approval and active marketing are separate fields.

if you are asking for a human half-life — no validated human terminal half-life was located. a three-person 50 mg oral study reported Cmax and Tmax but not half-life.

if you are asking what 5.56 hours means — it is the measured terminal half-life in male F344/N rats after 30 mg/kg oral gavage in 0.5 percent methylcellulose. it is displayed as animal-only without human conversion.

S tier grades clear identity, label provenance, and controlled human outcome data. It is not a safety endorsement and does not imply that an actively marketed product exists.

why S-tier

S tier reflects clear identity, an FDA-reviewed label, and multiple controlled human outcome datasets. Severe hepatic and lipid toxicity, discontinued marketing, and missing human terminal PK are stated as central facts, not hidden by the grade.

the core tension

Oxymetholone earns a top evidence grade because both the lean-mass effect and the hepatic cost are unusually well measured, while current market availability and human terminal half-life remain unresolved or absent.

what it is

Oxymetholone is an oral 2-hydroxymethylene, 17-alpha-methyl, 5-alpha-reduced androgen historically marketed as a 50 mg tablet for anemias caused by deficient red-cell production.

what it does

It activates androgen-responsive pathways and stimulates erythropoietic and anabolic endpoints. Its 5-alpha-reduced A-ring is not an aromatase substrate. The mechanism behind labeled gynecomastia is not established and should not be invented as direct estrogen-receptor agonism.

origin

Anadrol-50 NDA 016848 retains an approved legal status in Drugs@FDA, while all listed products are discontinued. The historical label carries boxed hepatic and lipid warnings.

why researchers are interested

Controlled trials measured substantial lean-mass increases and weight restoration. The same human studies recorded HDL loss, ALT elevations, and jaundice, making any clean-benefit narrative indefensible.

does it work

In 31 men aged 65 to 80, 50 and 100 mg/day for 12 weeks increased lean body mass by 3.3 and 4.2 kg. In 89 adults with HIV-associated wasting, 50 mg twice or three times daily increased weight but produced marked liver-enzyme elevations in 25 and 43 percent and jaundice in 10 and 16 percent. Outcome and toxicity are both human data.

claims vs the data

• oxymetholone has a proven 8-to-9-hour human half-life — unsupported — the located human study reports Cmax and Tmax, not terminal half-life.
• Anadrol-50 is actively marketed because the NDA is approved — contradicted — Drugs@FDA lists the products as discontinued; legal approval and marketing are separate.
• gynecomastia proves direct estrogen-receptor activation — unsupported — the label reports gynecomastia, but no primary direct-receptor mechanism was located and the molecule is not an aromatase substrate.

key facts

• molecular formula: C21H32O3
• molecular weight: 332.48 g/mol
• amino acids: n/a (steroidal small molecule, not a peptide)
• half-life: no validated human terminal half-life; 5.56 hours in male F344/N rats after 30 mg/kg oral gavage
• type: oral 2-hydroxymethylene, 17-alpha-methyl, 5-alpha-reduced anabolic-androgenic steroid
• CAS: 434-07-1
• +4.2 kg lean mass at 100 mg/day in older-men RCT
• 43% major liver-enzyme elevation in highest HIV-trial arm
• 5.56 h rat oral animal-only half-life
• 0 validated human terminal half-life studies

frequently asked questions

Is oxymetholone currently marketed in the United States?

The NDA remains legally approved, but Drugs@FDA lists Anadrol-50 products as discontinued and no active DailyMed marketing label was located. Approved status does not mean actively marketed.

What is the human half-life?

Unknown from a qualifying terminal concentration-time analysis. A small human study reported Cmax and a 3.5-hour Tmax after 50 mg, not a half-life.

Why show 5.56 hours?

NIEHS measured it in male F344/N rats after a single 30 mg/kg oral gavage dose. It is shown only as a low-confidence animal proxy and is not converted into a human interval.

Does S tier mean safe?

No. S grades the clarity and provenance of human evidence. Oxymetholone has boxed hepatic and lipid warnings, severe human liver signals, and female-rat liver carcinogenicity.

related peptides

• Oxandrolone — another oral 17-alpha-alkylated androgen with label PK and burn outcomes
• Stanozolol — the controlled human lipid-harm comparator
• testosterone — the clinically characterized reference androgen

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.