FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2015
Michael Pearlmutter
Partnership for Clean Competition
Executive Director
719.866.3307
mpearlmutter@cleancompetition.org
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – When the 2016 WADA Prohibited List of performance enhancing substances and methods was released earlier this month, mildronate (meldonium) was a notable new addition to the list. Earlier this year, a special research project funded, in part, by the Partnership for Clean Competition, was tasked with evaluating global athlete usage of mildronate, which was not previously prohibited, to determine if the rates of use indicated any potential performance-enhancing concerns. Analysis of 8,300 random, anonymous urine samples collected at doping control sessions revealed that 182 (2.2%) contained the energy-shifting drug mildronate, a substance first discovered and used in the 1980s as a cardioprotective agent.
“From an anti-doping perspective, the 2.2% rate in this study was concerning,” said Dr. Larry Bowers, Chairperson of the PCC Scientific Board, “This figure represents more than twice the overall rate of laboratory findings for a single drug than any of the substances on the Prohibited List.”
While mildronate was not on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List at the time of the study, it was included in the WADA substance monitoring program in order to assess its prevalence and misuse in sport. The results of the special research project were provided to WADA as part of the monitoring program.
“This project shows both the impact of our work and the quality of the PCC funding process. A substance with this high a prevalence needs to be identified quickly through a flexible research funding process. Thankfully, we were able to respond to a potential situation within weeks and the results were known less than one month later,” said Michael Pearlmutter, Executive Director of the PCC.
This special research project was conducted by five scientists led by Dr. Mario Thevis, who reviewed and tested thousands of urine samples stored at the WADA lab in Cologne, Germany in order to identify how many athletes may be using the substance for its potential performance-enhancing characteristics rather than its intended medical purpose. The study results showed that the use of mildronate was not limited to a particular sport or group of sports, but was found in a wide range of samples.
The results of this study suggested that further action was warranted to protect the rights of clean athletes around the world. The study concluded, “Due to the growing body of evidence (black market products and athletes’ statements) concerning its misuse in sport, adequate test methods for the reliable identification of mildronate are required, especially since the substance has been added to the 2015 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) monitoring program.”
By adding mildronate to the 2016 Prohibited List, WADA has taken the steps necessary to protect clean athletes and guard them against any competitors who may choose to cheat by misusing this substance.
