KINGSTON, Jamaica — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Friday confirmed that an amendment has been made to the 2014 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods to add two inert gases — Xenon and Argon.
“Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) activators Xenon and Argon will be added to the 2014 Prohibited List, after the recommendation was made and approved by WADA’s Executive Committee during its May meeting,” the agency said a news release.
WADA said they were recently alerted to the substance of Xenon and its “potential performance enhancing characteristics”, the WADA List Committee discussed the matter during its April meeting and recommended that the two noble gases — Xenon and Argon — be added to the Prohibited List.
“The change will be effective following the required three-month notice period, and once UNESCO has appropriately communicated the amendment to all States Parties,” the release said. “The revised 2014 Prohibited List will take effect on September 1, 2014.”
The change to the List reads as follows:
S2. PEPTIDE HORMONES, GROWTH FACTORS AND RELATED SUBSTANCES
The following substances, and other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s), are prohibited:
1. Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents [e.g. erythropoietin (EPO), darbepoetin (dEPO), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers and activators (e.g. xenon, argon), methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA), peginesatide (Hematide)].
