The question many of us continually ask, “What might be the next
clandestine doping agent in sports?” might have a new answer: noopept.
Popular in dietary supplements, noopept could be the next big banned
substance in sport after meldonium.
Noopept powder
As we watch the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with the Russian doping scandal
looming in the rearview mirror the notion that noopept could be the next
big banned substance in sport after meldonium is interesting on its
own. However, when one considers that both substances appear to be sold
as medication in Russia, and that many of the meldonium findings early
this year involved Russian athletes, the intrigue gets deeper. Because
noopept is prevalent in the supplement marketplace around the world, if
it is the next clandestine doping agent the potential issue would expand
well beyond Russia.
A comparison between the substance noopept and
meldonium supports our theory. Meldonium, which is suggested to improve
blood flow, is approved for use as anti-ischemia medication in Eastern
Europe and Russia. It is usually used to treat heart disease. Although
clearly popular with athletes, based on the hundreds of adverse
analytical findings for the drug in early 2016, meldonium is not
commonly found as a dietary supplement, at least not yet.
Meanwhile, noopept, is patented by JSC LEKKO Pharmaceuticals, a Russian
pharmaceutical company, in both the U.S. and Russia. It is commonly sold
as a dietary supplement in the nootropic category around the world, but
appears to be sold as a medication in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Noopept is being studied for its potential to alleviate Alzheimer’s
symptoms and treat other brain disorders. It is not an approved drug in
the U.S.
Noopept does not appear to be a controlled substance in the U.S. or
other countries, or at least that is what some nootropic sites claim.
That does not mean, however, it would be legal to sell as a supplement.
It would likely qualify as an unapproved drug according to the U.S. FDA,
or other international equivalents. As such, it may be OK to sell for
research purposes, but not as a supplement marketed for human
consumption. Given that noopept was patented in 1996, was not in the
food supply prior to 1994, and is synthetic, it does not appear to
qualify as a legal dietary supplement ingredient in the U.S., according
to DSHEA (the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994).
Despite noopept being a dubious, if not illegal, supplement ingredient,
it is commonly found packaged as a supplement and is available online at
a wide range of distributors including Amazon.com and Jet.com. Based on
its prevalence in dietary supplements and on message boards, it seems
it has become quite popular. With discussion on ‘The Worlds Most Trusted
Anabolic Website,’ as far back as 2007, it appears folks that track
performance-enhancing compounds have known about it for a number of
years.
In fact, noopept has become so popular that even Reddit, who thankfully
realizes the concern, has a note on noopept in ‘New Rules in Regards to
Illegal/Dangerous Compounds.’ The note describes that, “synthetic drugs
(not DSHEA compliant) that have too little information on them to assess
toxicity (Ex. Noopept or PRL-8-53)…, are in the grey area.”
The Wall