Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, 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. And WADA isn't telling what or how -- and we bet lawyers will be suing.
The Sydney Morning News is outing CERA.
A MOLECULE was the undoing of Tour de France drug cheat Ricardo Ricco, World Anti-Doping Agency chief John Fahey revealed yesterday.
Fahey said the war on drugs was stepping up, with WADA uniting with drug manufacturers to trap cheats. Italian rider Ricco, who had won stages six and nine of the Tour, tested positive for the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO). It's believed Ricco thought there was no test for the red-cell booster he was using called Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator (CERA).
A molecule placed in the drug during its manufacture caught Ricco out last week, and Fahey said that more cheats would be sprung like this.
"I can't tell you the details of how he was detected," Fahey told ABC Radio. "[But] I can indicate the particular substance is called CERA … which is a perfectly legitimate substance to deal with anaemia.
Interesting data; however we can see legal challenges coming down the pike. How can one be convicted on evidence that is not public? Is this the secret doping police?
"In the development of that particular substance close cooperation occurred between WADA and the pharmaceutical company Roche Pharmaceuticals so that there was a molecule placed in the substance well in advance that was always going to be able to be detected
once a test was undertaken."
Fahey said it was likely more drug companies and scientists would co-operate to ensure drug cheats across all sports would be caught.
"There's more and more of this occurring," he said.
"The more co-operation the scientists can have with the drug companies in the detection of performance-enhancing drugs the greater the likelihood is they will be detected when tests are undertaken."
OK, the stealth molecule catches drug cheats, but shouldn't an athlete have due process including information and data about the evidence against him? Will the stealth EPO test show up in the Olympics?
Since Ricco tried to sneak past the control area, it makes me wonder if word of a marker in certain "supplements" had gotten around the peleton.
All CSC's were tested on the off day. What is the time frame for A sample testing? Those tests were done by Italy's CONI - would they have the same capability to detect CERA that the French lab appears to have?
Posted by: Brian | 07/23/2008 at 12:13
For sure lawsuits will be flying around on this, but WADA should be able to catch these guys however they see fit. They're a private entity, right?
Posted by: Ryan Jerz | 07/23/2008 at 12:17
Stealth molecules are the one thing WADA has going for it right now. I think WADA needs to prove to some outside neutral observer that the technology works and can’t result in false positives.
But if there are a limited number of different stealth molecules that can be used and a limited number of ways to detect them, then the details of how this is done must be kept out of the hands of the dopers’ lawyers and doctors. Otherwise the dopers will have the PEDs they desire to take tested by their dirty doctors for stealth molecules before they use them. We need to protect the usefulness of this new tool on the fight against doping.
By the way, can anyone tell me why the Russians have 7 of the world’s top 800m women’s runners this year, when last year there wasn’t a Russian woman on the top-6? Same for the 5K. This year the Russians have two of the world’s top 4 performers, while last year they had no one on the top-20. I sure hope any drugs they might be using contain stealth molecules. I’ve read that WADA knows the blood profiles of many of the Russian women are not normal, but that’s not enough evidence to convict them of doping. Can anyone confirm this?
Posted by: Jeff S. | 07/23/2008 at 12:58
Tricksy Wada
Posted by: VG | 07/23/2008 at 13:07
Why do the Russians have the top 800 runners..because they have excellent stretching coaches.
:-)
Posted by: Steroid Nation | 07/23/2008 at 13:11
Wow, things are getting crazy!
Posted by: Adam K. | 07/23/2008 at 14:34
ahh wada!
Posted by: sam | 07/23/2008 at 20:09
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Posted by: Invertir en oro | 07/06/2011 at 10:14