Apparently no 'fingerprint': Roche helped WADA with CERA EPO tests

Where is the truth on this issue?  Did the pharmaceutics company Roche help WADA develop a test for CERA EPO or not?  Is there a stealth molecule in Roche's CERA EPO or not?

Last summer when the Tour de France ran anti-doping tests for the new CERA EPO, there was a story that the drugs manufacturer -- Roche -- embedded a chemical fingerprint on the compound.

WADA is lips sealed on this, but leaks say that Tour de France EPO drug cheat Riccardo Ricco fell to a stealth molecule attached to the drug by the manufacturer (Roche).  The new EPO preparation  -- CERA, a pegylated version of EPO  -- appears to have a trojan horse embedded somewhere that can be detected in WADA labs.

Roche denied the claims at the time:

Apparently WADA didn't understand the science, or WADA president John Fahey misspoke.  Roche, the manufacturer of the new CERA variety of EPO denies claims of a stealth molecule embedded in the drug to catch dopers. (Science Blogs)

Now Roche is saying that the company did cooperate with WADA in enabling lab detection of CERA EPO.  (IHT)

The maker of a drug at the center of a new Tour de France scandal says it collaborated with anti-doping experts to help catch cheats in sports.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG teamed up with the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2004 once clinical trials showed that the blood-booster CERA could become a doping drug of choice.

"We were very pleased that this collaboration with WADA has been productive," Roche spokeswoman Claudia Schmitt said Wednesday.

The new test was implemented at the Tour de France and will be utilized in retesting Beijing 2008 Olympics samples.

With an effective laboratory blood test finally available, three stage winners in the 2008 Tour — Stefan Schumacher of Germany and Italy's Riccardo Ricco (EPO gets you kisses, photo at right) and Leonardo Piepoli — have been caught cheating with CERA, an advanced version of EPO. Schumacher and Piepoli were exposed Monday.

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee announced it would retest samples taken from athletes in all sports at the Beijing Games in August to search for traces of CERA.

Roche, who says it monitors worldwide distribution of the drug gives this overview:

"At that time it was in clinical development and WADA was thinking it could be a new doping product," Schmitt said. "We immediately jumped in to help. We provided data and sent them samples of Mircera so they could work and develop the test."

Mircera is effective for longer periods than EPO and requires patients to inject themselves less often.

Half the active substance still works in the body 134 hours after a dose, compared with 40 hours for EPO.

"This is also the reason why it has helped WADA to detect it more easily," Schmitt said.

As the first commentator suggests, Roche did not embed a fingerprint moiety on the CERA EPO; however Roche did assist with lab detection techniques.

Comments

[James]

I don't think there is any conflict in the statements. They didn't embed a "secret molecule" in CERA, but they did assist WADA development of a test for it. That assistance has been public knowledge, as you would know if you read your previous article on the subject:

" WADA issued a statement Wednesday saying that Fahey's remarks had been misinterpreted. The agency said the drug can be detected because Roche and accredited sport-doping laboratories worked with the agency early.

"WADA received the molecule well in advance and was able to develop ways to detect it, including through the current EPO detection method," the agency said in the statement."

(http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2008/07/no-stealth-mole.html)

[Steroid Nation]

Actually we read what we wrote, we just didn't comprehend it. :-)

Changed the article to make it unambitious. It does seem a bit weird though, considering the statement by Fahey.

thanks

[Air Jordan 13 Transparent bottom Beige]

I was very impressed, I have to say. I very rarely find a blog, botheducational and entertaining, let me tell you, you hit the point. Yourblog is outstanding; do not a lot of things people are talking aboutintelligence. I am glad I have this chance in my relating some of thesearch.