Dons told drug was not legal Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker
The Age
July 31, 2013 ASADA investigators have seized documents found inside the Essendon Football Club's headquarters that claim the anti-obesity drug at the centre of the doping inquiry was being used by bodybuilders as a "safe alternative" to banned human growth hormones.
The documents were given to Essendon in 2012, written by the Melbourne firm that developed the drug and asserted that if the product was "legal" its use would be more widespread.
"If AOD [anti-obesity drug AOD9604] was legal/more easily obtainable, users advise they would use AOD more often," the documents state, while also claiming the drug had a following among bodybuilders with "years of experience injecting anabolic steroids".
"We are informed by Californian gym owner that professional bodybuilders use AOD as a safe alternative to hGh to [reduce] . . . body fat."
When asked about the documents — which Fairfax Media has confirmed were held in 2012 by a still-serving Essendon official – a club spokesman said it was "untrue" the club had such files.
The spokesman said the club had instead relied on an email sent to its former sports scientist Stephen Dank by the company that developed the drug and which ''specially references that AOD9604 is not a banned substance by any drug-testing authority''.
But sources within Essendon have privately conceded that the documents – a 16-page corporate presentation written by Metabolic Pharmaceutical in late 2010 – should have prompted more due diligence by the club about the use of AOD9604.
The drug is yet to be approved for human therapeutic use and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency under clause S0, which prohibits substances that are not authorised for medical use.
The documents are among several pieces of information gained by ASADA that reveal the risky nature of Essendon's sports science program and the failure of senior club officials to heed warnings that it might breach anti-doping rules or endanger the welfare of players.
Fairfax Media can also reveal that ASADA has uncovered a bill sent to Essendon in late 2012 by South Yarra hyperbaric chamber clinic owner Mal Hooper, who was working with Mr Dank to treat players. The bill for more than $60,000 included $2800 for the use of unspecified ''amino acids''.
It is understood the AFL and ASADA have been unable to confirm what drug the ''amino acids'' referred to, but have been told that despite the bill alarming several senior club officials, it prompted no decision to call in ASADA or the AFL.
Investigators have also obtained text messages from Essendon's former high performance coach Dean Robinson in which he cautioned Mr Dank that some of the peptides the sports scientist was considering using at the club could potentially break the anti-doping code.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dons-told-drug-was-not-legal-20130730-2qxqq.html
