WADA KEEPS WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS OFF BAN LIST FOR 2027

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) will not prohibit weight-loss medications in 2027, but will continue monitoring them for potential performance-enhancing effects. Wada's executive committee confirmed the decision following a meeting on Thursday. The drugs—semaglutide and tirzepatide, marketed under brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro—will remain on Wada's monitoring list pending further evidence of their effects on athletes.

Wada added semaglutide and tirzepatide to its monitoring list in 2024 and 2025 respectively. The agency has commissioned one study and is preparing a second to examine whether the drugs enhance performance in conditions designed to mimic high-level exercise. Professor Olivier Rabin, Wada's senior director of science and medicine, stated there was insufficient evidence to conclude the substances meet the criteria for inclusion on the banned list. A substance must satisfy two of three criteria to be prohibited: enhancing sporting performance, posing health risks to athletes, or violating the spirit of sport. Rabin warned athletes to use the drugs only under medical supervision, citing potential serious side effects including nausea, fatigue and muscle loss.

The medications have become increasingly common outside elite sport. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams disclosed last year that she had used weight-loss medication. Wada's rules take effect in January and are reviewed annually, with changes to the prohibited substances list typically approved in September each year. The agency anticipates its ongoing studies will provide data for a firm decision on whether to ban the drugs.