HCG, chorionic gonadotropin, is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy, with the activity of luteinising hormone, and unlike most of this catalogue it is the active substance of approved medicines. In Poland, where this shop is based, it is sold in pharmacies as Pregnyl, and across the European Union in recombinant form as Ovitrelle, in both cases on prescription only. Below is what this hormone is, why it draws interest in sport, and why you will not find an administration protocol here.
What chorionic gonadotropin is
It is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. It has the activity of luteinising hormone, LH, which means it acts on the same receptors. In men LH stimulates the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone, and that is where the interest in this substance in sport comes from.
The units on the pack also differ from the rest of the catalogue. Contents are given in international units, written as IU, not in milligrams, because the strength of a hormone is set by its biological activity.
Why it is a prescription medicine
The Polish Register of Medicinal Products lists Pregnyl 5000 IU, powder and solvent for solution for injection, with the active substance Gonadotropinum chorionicum. The recombinant equivalent, choriogonadotropin alfa, is approved in the European Union as Ovitrelle.
The European Medicines Agency product information for Ovitrelle says two things plainly: the medicine is available only on a doctor's prescription, and treatment is supervised by a doctor experienced in treating infertility. The second part of that sentence matters more than the first, because it describes not a formality but a condition for safe use.
| Name | Form | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnyl 5000 IU | Chorionic gonadotropin, powder with solvent | Approved in Poland, prescription only |
| Ovitrelle | Choriogonadotropin alfa, recombinant form | Approved in the European Union, prescription only |
| HCG as research material | 5000 IU of lyophilised powder in a vial | Not approved as a medicine, no leaflet and no established dose |
Its status in sport
The World Anti-Doping Agency list of prohibited substances and methods for 2026 came into force on 1 January 2026. Chorionic gonadotropin appears in section S2.2.1, titled Testosterone-stimulating peptides in males, alongside luteinising hormone, gonadorelin with its agonist analogues, and kisspeptin.
This section has a feature the other S2 entries do not have. The ban applies to men, and for women this entry does not apply. By comparison, section S2.2.4, which covers growth hormone secretagogues, applies regardless of sex, as described in the guide to growth hormone peptides.
What you will not find in this guide
You will not find a post-cycle administration protocol here, nor a step-by-step description of one. Nor will you find advice on combining HCG with clomiphene, tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. All of these are prescription medicines, and choosing the dose and the sequence is up to the treating doctor.
We also will not claim that HCG prevents mood dips or guarantees that muscle mass is kept. Claims like that would turn a description of research material into a promise of therapeutic action, and neither the state of knowledge nor the status of this product allows that. The line between research material and a medicine is covered in more depth in the guide to the legal status of peptides.
What is in the vial and what it costs
| Product | Contents | Price |
|---|---|---|
| HCG 5000 IU by Genheal | 5000 IU of lyophilised powder | 25 EUR |
| HCG 5000 IU by Bio-Peptide | 5000 IU of lyophilised powder | 25 EUR |
Both manufacturers price the vial the same, so you are choosing a brand and a way of verifying the packaging, not a price. You can check the code under the hologram following the instructions on the check your product page, and storage rules for the powder and the finished solution are in the guide to powder and solution.
Dissolving follows the same arithmetic as with other vials, only counted in international units. The calculation is set out in the guide to reconstitution with bacteriostatic water.
Frequently asked questions
Is HCG a medicine?
Chorionic gonadotropin is the active substance of approved medicines, Pregnyl 5000 IU in Poland and Ovitrelle in the European Union. Both are dispensed on prescription only.
How does Ovitrelle differ from Pregnyl?
In the form of the substance. Ovitrelle contains recombinant choriogonadotropin alfa, while Pregnyl contains chorionic gonadotropin obtained by the traditional method.
Is HCG banned in sport?
For men, yes, in section S2.2.1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency list for 2026. For women this entry does not apply.
Why are the contents given in IU and not in milligrams?
Because the strength of a hormone is set by its biological activity, which is measured in international units.
Why do you not give a dose?
Because this is the active substance of a prescription medicine. We can describe what it is and how it works, and choosing the dose is up to a doctor.
This is information about the product and its status, not medical advice. We sell HCG as material for laboratory research, and treatment is supervised by a doctor.
Sources
- Charakterystyka Produktu Leczniczego Pregnyl 5000 j.m. (Summary of Product Characteristics, in Polish). Polish Register of Medicinal Products. https://leki.urpl.gov.pl/files/Pregnyl_proszekirozpo_5000jm.pdf
- Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa). European public assessment report (EPAR), European Medicines Agency. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/ovitrelle
- WADA Prohibited List 2026, Polish translation, Polish Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA), in force from 1 January 2026. https://antydoping.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026_Lista-zabroniona.pdf