GSK-2881078
Also known as: GSK-2881078, GSK2881078
One of the few SARMs actually tested in humans — and the trials found liver enzyme elevations, which is why development stopped.
Substance family
Non-steroidal compounds binding the same androgen receptor as testosterone, but favouring muscle and bone over prostate and hair. The selectivity is real; the suppression of the body's own production is not avoided by it. None is approved anywhere.
Effects on
Which outcomes this substance acts on — descriptive, not a recommendation.
Strain profile
Where this substance is most likely to hit — a rough orientation, individually dependent on dose, duration and predisposition.
This substance causes
Dosing & protocols by goal
Rough orientation ranges as reported in harm-reduction literature — not an individual treatment plan. Doses are individual and open-ended; frequency depends on the ester or half-life.
Clinical trials (dose range studied)
MedicalDose
0.75–2 mg / day
Frequency
1× daily
Cycle length
Up to 28 days in the published trials
These are the doses actually administered to humans under supervision. Note how low they are — and that liver enzyme rises still occurred within this range.
Grey market practice
Not a recommendationDose
Rarely sold; figures unreliable
Frequency
—
Cycle length
—
Because it is uncommon on the grey market, there is no established user dosing pattern. The long half-lifehalf-lifeHow long it takes for half the substance to leave the body — it determines dosing frequency, not duration of effect. of 40–50 hours means it accumulates for over a week before levels stabilise.
Side effect & countermeasure
Typical problems and what you can do to reduce harm — at a glance. Does not replace medical monitoring.
Problem
The trials were stopped because of the liver
Countermeasure
This is the reason the compound matters. GSK-2881078 was tested in healthy volunteers and in older adults with muscle loss, and ALT elevations occurred at doses under 2 mg per day. That is a real human finding under medical supervision, not a forum report — and it is why development ended. Anyone taking it is starting from a documented liver signal, not from an unknown.
Problem
Very long half-life
Countermeasure
At 40–50 hours, levels keep climbing for a week or more before reaching steady state. Judging tolerance after a few days is misleading, and stopping does not clear it quickly either. This makes dose-finding by feel particularly unsuitable.
Problem
Suppression
Countermeasure
Present in the trials at these low doses, with testosterone declining measurably. Bloodwork before and after; a PCTPCTThe protocol after a cycle intended to restart the body's own testosterone production. plan with enclomiphene or clomiphene.
Problem
Falling HDL
Countermeasure
Documented in the trial data alongside the liver findings. A full lipid panel is part of the picture rather than an optional extra.
Overview
GSK-2881078 belongs on this list for a reason that has nothing to do with popularity. It is barely sold and few people have heard of it.
It matters because it is one of the very few SARMs that was actually given to humans in a controlled trial — and what those trials found is the most useful information on this entire page.
What the Human Trials Showed
GlaxoSmithKline developed it for muscle wasting in COPD and age-related sarcopenia. It reached phase 1 and 2 studies in healthy volunteers and in older adults, at doses between 0.75 and 2 mg per day for up to four weeks.
The compound worked: lean mass increased measurably.
It also produced elevations in ALT, a liver enzyme, in a portion of participants. At doses under two milligrams a day. Under medical supervision, with monitoring, over four weeks. Development was discontinued.
Why This Is the Most Important SARM Page Here
Almost everything on the other SARM pages carries the same caveat: no human data. That absence is usually presented as an unknown — nobody knows what it does long-term.
GSK-2881078 turns that around. Here somebody did look, properly, with blood tests and oversight. And what they found was a liver signal serious enough to end a pharmaceutical development programme, at doses roughly ten times lower than what people take of ostarine.
It is not proof that every SARM damages the liver. The compounds differ. But it is a data point that deserves weight against the assumption that SARMs are gentle because they are not steroids: when the class has been tested rigorously, liver findings are what showed up. The same happened with MK-0773, the Merck compound that reached phase 2.
The pattern across the class is worth stating plainly: the SARMs that got furthest into human testing were stopped for liver toxicity. The ones people buy were never tested that far.
Side Effects & Risks
- Elevated liver enzymes (ALT) — documented in human trials
- Falling HDL
- Suppression of the body's own testosterone production
- Long half-life means slow onset and slow clearance
- No manufacturing oversight in grey market products
Blood Work & Monitoring
- Liver values (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin) — the finding that stopped development; measure before, during and after
- Lipid profile (LDL, HDL, triglycerides)
- Total and free testosterone, LH, FSH
- Estradiol (sensitive assay)
Legal status by region
Regulation differs considerably between jurisdictions and changes over time. This is a rough orientation, not legal advice — check the rules that apply where you are.
| Region | Regulatory status |
|---|---|
| United States | Not approved; FDA warning applies to the SARM category |
| EU / UK | No marketing authorisation |
| Most other jurisdictions | Unregulated grey area |
| Competitive sport | Prohibited at all timesListed by WADA under S1.2. |