Overview
- Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the high‑purity reference material at NDTL’s 22nd Governing Body meeting in New Delhi.
- Developed with NIPER Guwahati, the new standard targets methandienone, a frequently abused anabolic steroid in sports.
- NDTL said the material will be shared with WADA‑accredited laboratories worldwide, while it is not commercially available on the open market.
- The effort is part of an NDTL–NIPER program to produce 22 anti‑doping reference materials, with 12 synthesized since 2020.
- WADA’s 2023 data show anabolic agents made up 42% of violations and methandienone accounted for 9%, underscoring the test’s relevance.