ARTG (Australia)
The ARTG (Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods) is the register of medicines, medical devices and biologicals that can be supplied in Australia; registered and listed goods each get a unique registration or listing number.
What it means in practice
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 requires the register to be kept "for the purpose of compiling information in relation to, and providing for evaluation of, therapeutic goods for use in humans" [2]. The register is split into parts: one for registered goods, one for provisionally registered goods, one for listed goods, and separate parts for biologicals and medical devices [2].
When goods are included in the register, the Act requires that they be given a unique registration or listing number [2]. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) runs a public ARTG search that works by name, ID or sponsor [1]. Results include the product name and formulation details, and details of the sponsor (the company) and the manufacturer [1].
Why it matters when reading nootropics research
Being on the ARTG and being "registered" are not the same thing. Listed goods and registered goods sit in different parts of the register [2], so a product described as "on the ARTG" may be in either.
Like an NPN in Canada, an ARTG number refers to one entry, not to an ingredient in general [2]. Each entry carries its own product name, formulation, sponsor and manufacturer details [1]. An entry records what a product is and who supplies it; it is not a finding from a placebo-controlled trial.
NootropicsWork compound pages give Australian status only from a dated TGA or legislation source. Where no source confirms a status, the regulatory row says it was not verified, with the date checked, rather than guessing from a missing entry.
Australian status also says nothing about the US, UK or Canada, where different rules apply, as the related entries explain.
References
- Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). not shown in fetched text.
- Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government). Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, Compilation No. 89. Compilation No. 89, compilation date 5 September 2025 (served as the latest version on 2026-11-11).