Actovegin

Actovegin is a highly filtered extract obtained from calf blood which enhances aerobic oxidation in mammals.[1] This improves absorption of glucose and oxygen uptake in tissue,[1] which may enhance physical performance and stamina. Local utilisation is allowed in countries like Canada and Sweden. Doctors like Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt and Richard Steadman think Actovegin should be allowed in general. Others think there is not enough research, and persons from the World Anti-Doping Agency like Olivier Rabin is sceptical that it is having more than a placebo effect.[2][3]

Actovegin made headlines from 2009 to 2011 when Canadian sports doctor Anthony Galea was charged with drug smuggling, conspiring to lie to federal agents, unlawful possession with intent to distribute and practising medicine without a licence in the United States. Galea pleaded guilty of bringing misbranded and unapproved drugs, including Nutropin, a human growth hormone, and Actovegin, into the United States. The discipline committee for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) suspended Galeas license for 9 months for professional misconduct.[4] [5][6][7]

Actovegin made headlines again in 2016, stemming from a 2011 incident, when American former professional athlete and fashion designer Nick Brandt-Sorenson was charged with a one count misdemeanor by the United States Department of Justice involving misbranding Actovegin into interstate commerce.[8][9][10][11] Afterwards in 2016, USADA banned the working artist and fashion designer Nick Brandt-Sorenson for life after his third anti-doping offense of being uncooperative.[12]

On 08 Sept 2011, Swiss NYCOMED Actovegin® was awarded “Medication of the Year” in Ukraine, with sincere congratulations expressed by the Head of Committee on Public Health Supreme Council of Ukraine, the Minister of Public Health of Ukraine Aleksandr Anischenko and the Chairman of State Administration of Ukraine for Medicinal Products Aleksey Soloviov.[13]

As revealed by later testimony by riders, Actovegin was also regularly used by Lance Armstrong and the members of his U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team on the 2000 Tour de France to enhance their performance.[14] One small-scale trial found that Actovegin did not improve human peak performance, at least in the short-term. [15] Actovegin can be useful to treat muscle injuries, .[16]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Cord was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Dopingfund in Göteborg, Polizei stellt Ermittlungen ein
  3. ^ The doctor they call 'Healing Hans', ESPN, 2011-12-16.
  4. ^ Fish, Mike (December 16, 2011). "Anthony Galea receives no jail time". ESPN. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  5. ^ Doheny, Kathleen. "FAQ on Actovegin: An Expert Explains How the Drug May Enhance Athletic Performance." WebMD Health News. December 16, 2009. Accessed 2011-09-16.
  6. ^ Schmidt, Michael S.; Austen, Ian (2009-12-17). "Doctor Under Investigation Is Charged in Canada". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  7. ^ Canadian regulatory body suspends Dr. Anthony Galea for nine months following U.S. sports doping scandal, Daily News, 2017-12-06.
  8. ^ "Former Pro Cyclist Pleads Guilty Misbranded/Non FDA Approved Drug Importation". Partnership for Safe Medicines. 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  9. ^ "Former Pro Cyclist Pleads Guilty To Importing, Selling Performance Enhancing Drugs". www.cbsnews.com. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  10. ^ companies (2016-04-18). "Fitness app Strava faces an uproar over an elite cycling user linked to doping". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  11. ^ Flax, Peter (2016-03-28). "Who is Thorfinn-Sassquatch? The mysterious case of a Los Angeles Strava legend". CyclingTips. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  12. ^ "L.A. cyclist who sold performance-enhancing drugs to be sentenced today". Daily News. 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  13. ^ "Actovegin And Other NYCOMED Products Called The Medicines Of The Year at PANACEA-2011". www.newswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  14. ^ USADA v. Armstrong, Reasoned decision, section IV B 3.e (pp. 42–45) (USADA 10 October 2012), Text.
  15. ^ Lee P, Nokes L, Smith PM (2012). "No effect of intravenous Actovegin® on peak aerobic capacity". Int J Sports Med. 33 (4): 305–9. doi:10.1055/s-0031-1291322. PMID 22318562. S2CID 2760688.
  16. ^ Lee, P.; Rattenberry, A.; Connelly, S.; Nokes, L. (2011). "Our Experience on Actovegin, is it Cutting Edge?". International Journal of Sports Medicine. 32 (4): 237–41. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1269862. PMID 21271496. S2CID 28641277.