Agency warns of very serious side effects, states positive tests show abuse is occuring
The World Anti Doping Agency has issued a rare warning to all athletes not to use the substance GW501516, which it states is being sold on the black market and used by some athletes. The agency has expressed strong words of caution about the substance, which was added to the banned list three years ago.
“The side effect of this chemical compound is so serious that WADA is taking the rare step of warning “cheats” to ensure that there is complete awareness of the possible health risks to athletes who succumb to the temptation of using GW501516 for performance enhancement,” it stated in a communication.
“GW501516 was a developmental drug that was withdrawn from research by the pharmaceutical company and terminated when serious toxicities were discovered in pre-clinical studies. Clinical approval has not, and will not be given for this substance.”
GW501516 regulates fat burning, shifts the body’s metabolism to use increasing amounts of fat for energy and increases muscle mass. When used with AICAR it is thought to have a synergistic effect, increasing endurance more than using either substance alone.
Despite the dangers, WADA states that the substance has been purchased on the black market and used by athletes, saying that several positive cases have shown that it is being utilised.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors drugs – of which GW501516 is one - have been listed as a specific class of substances banned under WADA’s prohibited list since 2009.
That year the-then AFLD director Pierre Bordry expressed his concerns about the possible use of AICAR or similar substances, saying that he felt several unspecified riders were unnaturally thin. It is unclear if he had additional information at the time, although no positive tests have followed for AICAR.
Also see: Doping: AICAR, Telmisartan and the need for vigilance