Athletes will continue to be able to use weight-loss medication in 2027, although the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) will keep the drugs on its monitoring list.
Wada has concerns over the ability of weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide – commonly referred to by brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro – to aid performance.
The anti-doping body has commissioned one study and is preparing another on the performance-enhancing potential of the drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, and added semaglutide and tirzepatide to its monitoring list in 2024.
But it confirmed in a meeting of its executive committee on Thursday that the drugs would stay off its banned list of substances for 2027, “pending further data becoming available on the possible effects on athletes who take them”.
Wada’s senior director of science and medicine Prof. Olivier Rabin said the agency had “carefully” considered whether to prohibit the drugs.
He said: “However, at this stage, there is not enough evidence available for us to conclude with confidence that the substances meet the criteria needed for inclusion on the List.
“With one relevant, sport-related scientific study already up and running, WADA has initiated a second study that will look into the effects of these substances on athletes. We anticipate that these projects will provide the data needed to make a firm decision.”
Wada bans substances if they fulfil two of the following three criteria: enhancing sporting performance, posing a risk to athletes’ health, or violating the spirit of sport.
As Wada conceded, drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have become increasingly common in society, but there has been little discussion of their use in elite sport.
23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams is the most high-profile elite athlete to openly share her experiences of weight-loss drugs. The 44-year-old, who made her comeback to tennis this summer after four years away, is a spokesperson for Ro, a company which sells weight-loss medication and which her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is an investor in.
Wada will revisit the issue at next September’s executive committee meeting; any change to the rules would take effect from January 2028.
