RESEARCH MONOGRAPH · KDC-MN-262

Ligandrol (LGD-4033)

May 9, 2026 Kodiac biolabs Research Revised May 30, 2026 3 min read

Our opinion on this compound

53/100

More potent than ostarine, more suppressive, and with thinner human data behind the popularity

LGD-4033 is the SARM that got popular before the clinical program could really say much about it. Originally a Ligand Pharmaceuticals discovery, licensed to Viking Therapeutics, and pushed through limited human pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies before the gray market basically took over the narrative. The published human data is genuinely thin compared to what the consumer enthusiasm would suggest.

Mechanistically it's another non-steroidal AR agonist with claimed tissue selectivity for muscle and bone over prostate. The Basaria 2013 phase 1 ascending-dose study in healthy men remains the most-cited human work, showing dose-dependent lean mass gains over 21 days at 0.1 to 1.0 mg per day and significant HPG axis suppression even at the lower doses tested. That study and a few subsequent small ones are mostly what the human evidence base consists of. There's no completed phase 2 efficacy data in the indications LGD-4033 was originally pursued for.

What we like for research use is that LGD-4033 is more potent than ostarine on a per-milligram basis, which makes it useful as a high-affinity AR agonist tool compound. The receptor pharmacology is well-characterized in vitro, and the tissue selectivity, while not absolute, is reproducible across multiple in vivo models.

What we dont like is the suppression profile is substantial. At doses used in the consumer scene (3-to-10 mg per day, far above the 0.1-1.0 mg tested in Basaria's study) the testosterone, LH, and FSH suppression is dramatic and slow to recover. The hepatotoxicity case reports in the literature, while rare, are concerning enough that the FDA-cleared supplement-poisoning literature flags LGD-4033 with some frequency.

The other thing we dont like is how the consumer narrative around SARMs in general has shaped what people think the human data shows. There is no SARM that has demonstrated a clean efficacy-versus-suppression separation in humans at performance-relevant doses. LGD-4033 isnt special in that regard.

Sourcing is a mess. Counterfeit and mislabeled product is endemic. Research-grade material with documented HPLC purity is available but vendor reliability varies. The 2017 FDA warning to manufacturers selling LGD-4033 as a dietary supplement was specifically about adulteration and mislabeling at scale.

Hyped relative to evidence, real pharmacology, real risks. Useful as a research tool with appropriate framing. Treat the consumer mythology as separate from the science.

Evidence: 45
Mechanism: 70
Reliability: 60
Safety: 45
Sourcing: 45
Value: 55
Signal: 60
Staying power: 45

Plain-language summary Intrigue 65 / 100

Ligandrol (LGD-4033) is one of the highest-affinity SARMs at the androgen receptor, binding several times more tightly than ostarine. Phase 1 trials in healthy men showed clear lean-mass gains at doses as low as 1 mg in the published literature over three weeks, with hormonal suppression at higher doses. It was later out-licensed to Viking Therapeutics as VK5211 for hip-fracture recovery. Like other SARMs it never reached the market, but it is one of the most commonly encountered SARMs in recreational and athlete-doping use, partly because of its high potency. Suppression of natural testosterone production is reliable at recreational doses, requiring post-cycle therapy. WADA-banned. Not stocked by Kodiac. This monograph is provided for research and educational reference.

Intrigue 0–100 blends mechanism novelty, evidence strength, and translational potential. Kodiac editorial, not peer-reviewed.

Selective androgen receptor modulator

A non-steroidal SARM developed for muscle wasting; one of the more potent SARMs at AR binding.

Abstract

Ligandrol (LGD-4033, VK5211; CAS 1165910-22-4; molecular formula C14H12F6N2O; molecular weight 338.25) is a non-steroidal SARM developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals (later out-licensed to Viking Therapeutics as VK5211). The compound is a high-affinity AR ligand (Ki approximately 1 nM, several-fold higher affinity than ostarine) with tissue-selective agonism similar to other SARMs. Phase 1 trials in healthy male volunteers demonstrated dose-dependent increases in lean body mass at doses of 0.1 to 1 mg over 21 days, with no significant prostate effects but with HPG axis suppression at the higher dose tier. Subsequent phase 2 development (VK5211) targeted hip fracture recovery; results have been intermittent. Plasma half-life is approximately 24 to 36 hours. The compound is widely used recreationally at supratherapeutic doses (5 to 10 mg) and is banned by WADA. Used as the canonical high-affinity SARM in mechanism studies.

Mechanism of action

Non-steroidal SARM with high AR affinity (~1 nM); tissue-selective anabolic activity.

Reported research dose ranges

Trial doses 0.1 to 1 mg in the published literature; recreational use 5 to 10 mg.

References

Basaria S, et al. The safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects of LGD-4033, a novel nonsteroidal oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in healthy young men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2013.
Bhasin S, et al. SARM development for cachexia and frailty. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2014.
Solomon ZJ, et al. Selective androgen receptor modulators: current knowledge and clinical applications. Sex Med Rev 2019.

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KDC-MN-262

The full reference document is provided strictly for research use only. It reports research dose ranges from the published literature, not instructions for use in humans or animals.

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FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not for medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes. Not for human consumption. All information is provided for research and educational purposes only.

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Ligandrol (LGD-4033)

Abstract

Mechanism of action

Reported research dose ranges

References

Read the full monograph

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Abstract

Mechanism of action

Reported research dose ranges

References

Read the full monograph

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