A panel of scientific experts, called together on 7 November in Lausanne by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission to review the criteria for detecting the presence of recombinant, or artificial, erythropoetin (rEPO) in the body, reaffirmed a combined EPO blood and urine test and refined its reporting procedures. This consensus on the reporting procedures was important to maintain consistency among the greater number of labs now able to conduct the test for rEPO.

The group noted that the ability to detect the use of rEPO has been improved through the experience gained since the last meeting of experts in July 2000.

Specifically, the panel determined in order to recommend a positive doping result due to the presence of rEPO in the body:

1. The proper detection method is a combined EPO blood and urine test.

2. Both the blood sample and urine sample must return abnormal results.

3. An abnormal result from a urine sample will be declared by following improved qualitative and quantitative criteria.

4. This testing strategy will be applied during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

The panel reviewed new data generated since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, including an inter-laboratory comparison study of urine analysis conducted by the IOC accredited laboratories in Barcelona, Lausanne, Oslo, Paris, and Sydney.

The panel included representatives from the fields of glycoprotein research, doping control in sport, laboratory analysis, statistics, and the pharmaceutical industry.