WADA to virtually host Therapeutic Use Exemption Symposium in April

As you may recall, on 9 December 2020, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency was postponing its ‘in person’ Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Symposium, which was to be held from 22-23 April 2021 in Incheon, South Korea. At the time, the Agency also asked stakeholders to save new dates for the Symposium in their calendars of 21-22 April 2022 in Incheon.

WADA still hopes to welcome stakeholders in person for its TUE Symposium in Incheon next year. In the meantime, however, we are pleased to announce that the Agency will virtually host a TUE Symposium, via two, two-hour sessions, on 22 and 23 April 2021.

The primary objective of the virtual TUE Symposium is to further harmonize the approach to TUEs, which ensure that athletes with legitimate medical conditions may participate in sport despite their need for a prohibited substance or method. As you can see from the Program, the virtual TUE Symposium will discuss elements of the 2021 International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions that entered into effect on 1 January 2021; and, include interactive discussions on medical cases; medico-legal issues; retroactive TUEs; and, the challenges regarding global harmonization of practices. There will also be dedicated question-and-answer sessions.

Stakeholders are encouraged to attend both days of the virtual TUE Symposium and are invited to register:

• here for part 1 of the Program on 22 April from 00:00 to 02:10 (EDT).
• here for part 2 of the Program on 23 April from 00:00 to 02:10 (EDT).

Should you have any questions regarding the virtual TUE Symposium, please contact WADA’s Medical Unit at medical@wada-ama.org.

We look forward to seeing you virtually in April and to meeting you in person in 2022.