|
Tuesday, 21 February 2006 |
Anti-doping expert not worried by super EPO drugs
World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) science director Olivier Rabin claimed
the organisation is well prepared for the new generation of "super EPO"
drugs being used in sport and wanted to ally any fears about this.
EPO (Erythropoietin) is a blood-boosting hormone used to improve
stamina in endurance events, and drug firms are currently developing
new versions.
But Olivier Rabin said with confidence: "We've been tracking them, and we're confident we can detect these new forms of EPO."
However, German expert Professor Wolfgang Jelkman has cautioned that
the new "super EPOs" will be far more powerful and could prove a major
problem for the anti-doping agencies.
Prof. Jelkman said: "They have been developed for the benefit of
patients because drugs with a long half-life would need to be given
less frequently to them.
"But one of the problems we have to expect is sportsmen would use
combinations of these different drugs, and then it would be very
difficult to detect."
And Michele Verroken, the former head of anti-doping at UK Sport,
shares Prof Jelkman's worries: "There is pressure on the EPO test and
Wada have had to come out and state that they have every confidence
that the EPO test is valid.
"Well, that was for the previous generation of drugs, now of course
we've got a new generation, and that's no doubt going to raise
questions again."
However, Wada's Olivier Rabin wasn't worried and added: "We've been
working on those EPOs, and we've been able to test even recently some
of the new forms in our anti doping laboratory."
Comment on this article
Leave your comments (Show/Hide Form)
Other Visitors Comments
There are no comments currently....
|
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 26 February 2006 )
|
Special Reports 
