Comments to the therapeutic use exemptions of the national antidoping agency of Germany (NADA)

In 2007, the German National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) provided 183 standard (TUE) and 3,665 abbreviated Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ATUE). Among these, only approximately one-fifth concern athletes of the national A/B/C squads. This procedure involves a considerable bureaucratic and resource-binding burden, which has led to a current discussion about revision of the TUE system on an international level. The number of standard-TUEs does not exceed the expected prevalence of the disease in the "normal" population even considering sport-specific characteristics. A certain potential of drug abuse certainly exists concerning the ATUEs for corticosteroids and ss 2-agonists. However, according to current scientific literature, their relevance to an ergogenic effect seems rather low The granting of TUEs should not divert attention from the current problems in the fight against doping. These concern substances (anabolic steroids, erythropoietins, growth hormones, other peptide hormones) and methods (blood doping), which do not play a role in the granting of TUEs.     «

In 2007, the German National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) provided 183 standard (TUE) and 3,665 abbreviated Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ATUE). Among these, only approximately one-fifth concern athletes of the national A/B/C squads. This procedure involves a considerable bureaucratic and resource-binding burden, which has led to a current discussion about revision of the TUE system on an international level. The number of standard-TUEs does not exceed the expected prevalence of the disease in the "n...     »