Ozempic, Mounjaro not on WADA banned list for athletes

Athletes will not be banned from taking weight-loss drugs under the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules for 2027, but the substances will remain on its monitoring list, El.kz reports citing BBC.

Wada confirmed the decision following a meeting of its executive committee as it continues to examine the potential of the drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, to enhance performance and the risk of abuse in sport.

The rules take effect in January and are reviewed annually.

Medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have become increasingly common outside elite sport.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams revealed last year - while on a break from professional tennis - that she had been using weight-loss medication.

Professor Olivier Rabin, Wada's senior director for science and medicine, warned athletes to be "very careful using those drugs and never without medical advice and supervision".

"It's such a drastic change in your physiology that it can come with serious side effects and risks, in particular for athletes," he told BBC Sport.