Joining forces

Dr Joe Cummiskey, who was recently invited to join the International Olympic Committee's medical commission, this week pointed out a potentially interesting partnership in the fight against drugs in sport.

His view is that the IOC and major pharmaceutical companies could come together before drugs are brought onto the market. The drug companies are able to chemically mark substances like the blood-boosting erythropoietin (EPO) in order to make them more easily traceable.

Currently, there is no test for EPO, but with a marker present, scientists could simply detect it in an athlete's blood. The same principle applies to a whole range of products. Labelling drugs, though, cannot be done retrospectively as it takes around £100 million to take a drug to the market.