The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and GH-2000

The IOC recognised growth hormone (GH) as a drug of abuse in 1992 and recruited me as an expert to advise them on the development of a test to detect its abuse. After a long gestation period where the IOC gradually changed their attitude to research they co-funded the GH-2000 project with the European Union (EU). GH-2000 was a unique consortium of Europe’s best endocrinologists and scientists in partnership with two GH manufacturers and the IOC with a greater than two million dollar budget. GH-2000 selected a method based on the measurement of GH-dependent markers and selected IGF-I and P-III-P as the most suitable markers and demonstrated that they could detect 100% of men taking GH with a false-positive rate better than 1:10,000; sensitivity was reduced however in women. GH-2000 reported back to EU and IOC in January 1999 in time to have the test available for the 2000 Olympic Games. Results were quality assured by an expert workshop. Politics has prevented this from happening however, some reasons are discussed as to why 9 years later it still has not been introduced.