RAD-140 (Testolone): Mechanism, State of Evidence and Documented Clinical Cases

RAD-140, also known as Testolone, is one of the most widely searched compounds in the SARM category. In recent years, the largest body of human evidence has come from clinical case reports, not efficacy trials. That distinction frames this entire article.

This article reviews the mechanism, state of the evidence and documented adverse events. It does not provide doses, cycles or protocols for use.

All substances discussed in this article are research compounds and are not intended for human consumption. Their effects are described solely on the basis of laboratory studies and experimental observations, not clinical recommendations.

What is RAD-140?

RAD-140 is a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator. The term ‘non-steroidal’ matters: the molecule lacks a steroidal scaffold, which distinguishes it from testosterone and its derivatives even though it interacts with the same receptor.

The SARM class as a whole, including what belongs in the category and which compounds are incorrectly placed in it, is discussed in our overview of SARMs as a group. This article focuses solely on RAD-140.

Mechanism and the concept of selectivity

The SARM concept is based on tissue selectivity: an attempt to stimulate androgen receptors in skeletal muscle and bone while limiting effects in the prostate, skin and hair follicles. Proposed selectivity reflects differences in ligand-induced receptor conformation and in the recruitment of co-regulatory proteins across tissues.

Selectivity is a matter of degree, not an all-or-nothing property. It means shifting the balance between anabolic and androgenic effects, not eliminating androgenic effects. The implications of this distinction are discussed below.

What the research shows, and what it does not

Preclinical data

RAD-140 has been evaluated in preclinical models for effects on muscle mass and bone mineral density (Puskas et al., 2025, PMID 40680216).

A less widely cited result deserves attention because it conflicts with a uniformly promotional narrative. In a study in female mice, RAD-140 negatively affected skeletal muscle adaptation, frailty measures and mortality risk (Brown et al., 2023, PMID 37758180). This is an animal-model observation and should be interpreted as such, but it shows that the preclinical evidence is not uniformly favorable.

What is missing

A systematic review of SARM safety in healthy adults and the implications for recreational users summarises the evidence (Vignali et al., 2023, PMID 37218811). A separate systematic review examines SARM use by athletes (Vasireddi et al., 2025, PMID 39755947).

The clinical development program for RAD-140 was not completed. No registration trials have established efficacy and safety to the standard required for medicinal products. Most human evidence instead comes from case reports involving people who sought medical care for complications.

Published clinical cases

Clinical case reports are the best-documented source of human evidence for RAD-140 and are therefore presented without minimisation. Case reports cannot estimate how frequently an event occurs, but they can show that an event occurred and was associated with a reported exposure.

Liver injury

A case of RAD-140-associated drug-induced liver injury has been published (Leung et al., 2022, PMID 36561105). It forms part of a broader pattern of liver injury after SARM exposure described by several independent publications combining case reports with literature reviews (Mertens et al., 2024, PMID 37871633), (Mohamed et al., 2023, PMID 36945289) and (Khan et al., 2022, PMID 35340496).

Cardiovascular events

Two 2024 case reports concern cardiovascular complications and are particularly relevant to this compound:

• Myocarditis and pericarditis following RAD-140 exposure, reported in JACC Case Reports (Schwartzman et al., 2024, PMID 39157568).
• Heart failure reported by a Polish team in the Polish Archives of Internal Medicine; the article title explicitly describes the consequences as catastrophic (Skorupski et al., 2024, PMID 38864168).

Hormonal disorders

A case of reversible gynecomastia and hypogonadism was reported after use of a product marketed as a performance-enhancing supplement (Chong et al., 2024, PMID 39145153). Suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is relevant to the class as a whole and is discussed in the parent article.

Regulatory status

RAD-140 is not registered as a medicinal product in the European Union or the United States. It is not a dietary supplement, food or cosmetic and is not eligible for authorized health claims. The US regulator has issued warnings about products containing SARMs that are marketed as sports supplements.

No authorized body has established recommendations for human use of this compound, and a supplier of research material is not such a body.

Anti-doping note

RAD-140 falls within category S1.2 of the WADA Prohibited List: other anabolic agents, including selective androgen receptor modulators. Compounds in this category are prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition.

Anti-doping rules are not limited to professional athletes. In Poland, the WADA Prohibited List is administered by the Polish Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA), and amateur athletes participating in covered competitions may also be tested. Because RAD-140 is not a registered medicine, there is no basis for a Therapeutic Use Exemption for this compound. Analytical methods for detecting SARMs in anti-doping control are well developed (Thevis and Schänzer, 2018, PMID 28137616).

What is actually in the product?

An analysis published in JAMA examined 44 products sold online as SARMs. Only 52% contained any SARM, 39% contained another unapproved drug, 9% contained no active compound, and only 41% contained an amount consistent with the label (Van Wagoner et al., 2017, PMID 29183075). A newer European study examined products of suspected illegal origin for SARMs, metabolic modulators and growth hormone secretagogues (Barrios et al., 2025, PMID 40551438).

For an athlete subject to testing, this creates a risk of a rule violation caused by an undeclared substance. Material identity can be assessed only through batch-specific analytical documentation.

Harm reduction

• A human safety profile has not been established. No registration trials have defined one.
• Serious organ complications have been documented, including hepatic and cardiovascular events. Case reports cannot estimate frequency, but they identify the types of risk observed.
• Selectivity does not eliminate androgenic activity. Suppression of the hormonal axis remains relevant to this class.
• Combining substances multiplies the unknowns. A poisoning case following concurrent exposure to two compounds in this area has been reported (Kintz et al., 2021, PMID 34678947).
• Symptoms requiring urgent medical assessment include yellowing of the skin or sclera, dark urine, chest pain, shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance and swelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RAD-140 safer than testosterone because it is selective?

Selectivity shifts the balance between anabolic and androgenic effects; it does not remove risk. Testosterone is also the active substance in registered medicines with characterized adverse-effect profiles, whereas RAD-140 has not undergone a comparable regulatory assessment. Comparing a known profile with an undetermined one is therefore unreliable.

Can RAD-140 affect the liver even though it is not a 17-alpha-alkylated steroid?

Yes. The absence of this particular structural modification does not establish an absence of hepatotoxicity. A case of RAD-140-associated drug-induced liver injury (PMID 36561105) and several independent reports of liver injury after SARM exposure have been published.

Are the preclinical data uniformly favorable?

No. In female mice, RAD-140 negatively affected skeletal muscle adaptation, frailty measures and mortality risk (PMID 37758180).

Is RAD-140 detectable in anti-doping control?

Yes. Analytical methods for detecting SARMs are established and routinely used. RAD-140 falls within category S1.2 and is prohibited at all times, with no basis for a Therapeutic Use Exemption for this compound.

Why does the article not provide doses or cycle lengths?

Because RAD-140 is not a medicinal product and has not completed the registration process through which an authorized dosage would be established. Values circulated online do not come from registration trials.

Summary

RAD-140, or Testolone, is a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator whose clinical development program was not completed. There are therefore no registration trials establishing efficacy and safety in humans. Tissue selectivity shifts the balance between anabolic and androgenic effects rather than eliminating androgenic activity. Preclinical evidence is not uniformly favorable: a study in female mice reported negative effects on skeletal muscle adaptation, frailty measures and mortality risk. Human evidence consists mainly of clinical case reports documenting drug-induced liver injury, myocarditis and pericarditis, heart failure, and reversible gynecomastia with hypogonadism. These reports cannot estimate event frequency, but they identify the types of risk observed. RAD-140 falls within category S1.2 of the WADA Prohibited List and is prohibited at all times, with no basis for a Therapeutic Use Exemption for this compound.

Product documentation

Research material pages with batch-specific analytical documentation are available for the capsule form and the 30 ml solution. The complete range is listed under SARMs and modulators. These materials are intended for research purposes only.

Bibliography

1. Leung K, Yaramada P, Goyal P, Cai CX, Thung I, Hammami MB. RAD-140 Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Ochsner J. 2022;22(4):361–365. PMID: 36561105
2. Schwartzman KH, Kohli U, Chaudhuri NR, Hoda M. Myopericarditis Following Use of Selective Androgen Receptor Modifier “RAD-140”. JACC Case Rep. 2024;29(15):102423. PMID: 39157568
3. Skorupski WJ, Marko A, Janus M, Skorupska K, Lesiak M, Kłotzka A. Selective androgen receptor modulator abuse-induced heart failure: catastrophic effects of RAD-140 (Testolone). Pol Arch Intern Med. 2024;134(7–8):16770. PMID: 38864168
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