Update on hGH Isoforms Test

Dear All,

Following the decision rendered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on March 26, 2013 on the case of Mr. Andrus Veerpalu vs. FIS, WADA wishes to update you on the situation regarding use of the hGH isoforms test.

First of all, WADA would like to emphasize the scientific validity and the fitness for purpose of the hGH differential immunoassays as applied to the anti-doping field. CAS clearly stated that “the Respondent has shown to the comfortable satisfaction of this Panel that the hGH Test is a reliable testing method for hGH abuse in professional sports that is based on scientifically correct assumptions and methods”.

WADA is however deeply disappointed with the CAS judgment indicating that the panel was not comfortably satisfied with the current decision limits (DLs) applied to the hGH test. WADA acknowledges the CAS authority and has engaged in a process to re-establish these limits taking into account the remarks expressed in the CAS award. For that purpose, WADA Science Department has requested from all accredited laboratories that all hGH test results be submitted to WADA. WADA has engaged independent statistician teams to review these data in order to allow the recalculation of the DLs with the latest information available. Once this process is finished, the work will be peer reviewed and WADA will then provide the revised DLs as part of the Guidelines for hGH testing.

In the meantime, for the sake of deterrence, WADA encourages all Anti-Doping Organizations (ADO) to keep collecting hGH samples and to instruct the laboratories to freeze such samples without analyzing them. Once new DLs are in place it will then be possible for the laboratories to perform the hGH analysis on those samples. We realize that this situation is not ideal and will do all that is within our control to establish new DLs in the shortest term.

Yours sincerely,

David Howman
Director General