The potential for the upcoming Olympic doping scandal to unfold at your residence is a sobering reality.
An assortment of research chemicals, known as peptides, many of which are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and some not sanctioned for human use in the United States, are readily accessible with a simple online purchase. Notably, major online retailers such as Amazon and Alibaba offer these substances. Alibaba is a sponsor of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The widespread availability of these substances, coupled with their elusive nature that makes them challenging to detect, presents a concerning situation that doping regulators and Olympic officials are striving to combat. With the Milan Cortina Games approaching in just two months, efforts are being made to prevent a repeat of the scandals involving Russian and Chinese athletes that have plagued the Games since 2014, both in the summer and winter editions.
Although online pharmaceuticals and supplements have long been identified as a risk by anti-doping authorities, the influx of certain peptides, which are protein-building amino acid chains promoted for various purposes such as anti-aging, workout recovery, weight loss, and memory enhancement, poses a more complex dilemma.
“The prevalence of these substances has increased significantly,” remarked Oliver Catlin, president of the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute, whose late father, Don Catlin, was a prominent figure in anti-doping research.
Most of these peptides fall under the category of “research chemicals,” lacking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and also being banned under the WADA code, either within the “S2” peptide category or the broader “S0” classification encompassing non-approved substances.
Notably, substances like BPC 157, classified under the “S0” category, are included due to their unique composition that does not fit into other banned categories.
An intricate aspect of the “S0” classification is its inclusion of unapproved substances that are not explicitly listed, often due to the lack of detection methods, a measure adopted by regulators to prevent users from circumventing detection.
Research conducted by Catlin identified a plethora of banned or illicit peptides available online, with a constantly changing inventory, prompting some removals following inquiries from The Associated Press.
“The surge in the use of peptides has been gradual over the past five years,” Catlin observed.
Retailers’ Responses to Inquiries on Peptide Availability
Dan Burke, formerly of the FDA and now leading intelligence and investigations at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, highlighted the challenges in regulating modern peptides online, citing outdated American laws from 1938 that inadequately address the issue.
“The illicit vendors are well aware of this loophole, leading to the proliferation of these substances,” Burke explained.
While certain peptides like insulin and the trending weight-loss agent GLP-1 are legal and proven effective with prescription use, others in this category lack legal approval for marketing as supplements, prescriptions, or over-the-counter drugs.
Several of these substances, including BPC-157, are accessible on various online platforms, including Amazon and Alibaba, the latter being a notable IOC sponsor committed to modernizing the Olympic Games digitally.
When questioned by AP regarding this association, an IOC representative stated that Alibaba ensures continuous monitoring of its marketplaces to prevent the sale of WADA-prohibited substances. Upon receiving problematic drug links from AP, Alibaba promptly removed those items, emphasizing compliance with the WADA banned list.
“Although some of these substances may have no legal restrictions in normal consumer contexts, we have implemented stringent standards to define operational boundaries, going beyond mere compliance with legal requirements,” Alibaba stated.
Amazon informed AP that it mandates compliance with