Meldonium Producer to Discuss With WADA Removal of Drug From Banned List

Baltic pharmaceutical company Grindeks, the manufacturer of meldonium, will discuss with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the possibility to remove the drug from WADA’s banned substances list, Juris Bundulis, chairman of Grindeks' board of directors, said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Meldonium was developed in Latvia to treat patients with heart conditions. WADA added meldonium to its banned substances list on January 1, 2016. The agency considers the drug to be a metabolic modulator that increases athletes' endurance and shortens post-exercise rehabilitation time.

"We managed to persuade WADA not to include [Meldonium] on [its Prohibited list] for a long time. The news about the drug's ban really upset and surprised us. We still have not received any scientific answer. [Taking] this drug is not doping. We have decided to hold an open dialogue with WADA. We will be trying to achieve the exclusion of meldonium from the banned [substances'] list from January 1, [2017]," Bundulis said at a press conference.

According to Bundulis, there is evidence that meldonium is a high-quality and harmless drug, which has helped to save many athletes' lives.

Earlier in April, WADA said in a statement that less than 1 micrograms of meldonium per milliliter in the doping test would be permissible in samples submitted before March 1, 2016.