Police in Germany and Austria, in charge of the anti-doping investigation "Operation Aderlass," have discovered a new doping product.

The product, which has a similar effect on performance as EPO, is called "H7379 Hemoglobin Human" and is a synthetic powder of hemoglobin (an oxygen-carrying metallic protein that makes up 95 percent of human red blood cells).

According to Het Nieuwsblad, investigators have information that this product was used by athletes for microdosing during the 2016 and 2017 seasons; in August, authorities learned that the central figure in the scandal, former Gerolsteiner and Milram doctor Mark Schmitt A Croatian who served as a supplier was arrested. This supplier cooperated with investigators and revealed the existence of the product.

The drug, which is manufactured in freeze-dried powder form by a subsidiary of German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Merck, promotes oxygen transfer in the body, similar to various methods used in cycling over the years, including EPO and blood transfusions.

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), such as H7379 hemoglobin human type, are typically used as blood substitutes in emergency clinical situations and have been in the news in the past. A spokesperson for Lance Armstrong denied that he may have had access to HemAssist, as a 2011 Sports Illustrated investigation claimed. Michael Rasmussen admitted to using Hemopure in 2002 and said in 2017 that it was "useless" and "pure placebo."

Doping controls can detect HBOCs, but specific tests are required to detect them. Such tests are only used when there is already a suspicion of HBOC use.

The investigation team reportedly obtained the names of athletes who used the product and passed information about them and the product to the UCI and the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) In November 2019, the UCI announced that the CADF would retest samples taken in 2016 and 2017 announced that it would do so and is now believed to be focused on finding traces of drugs.

The results of the retests have not been announced, but the German and Austrian research teams told Het Nieuwsblad that only 50 of the "thousands" of samples were actually tested.

In response to Cycling News, the CADF replied: "The CADF is continuing to reanalyze the samples related to Operation Adelrath. As this is ongoing, we refrain from commenting further at this stage."

The CADF is also working on the reanalysis of the samples from the Adelrath operation, which will be published in a future issue of Cycling News.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stated: it can be confirmed that H7379 hemoglobin human " is in fact powdered hemoglobin.

"'H7379' appears to be merely a catalog number for a company that sells/manufactures the product as a research reagent."

"WADA cannot comment on an ongoing case and therefore cannot make anyone available for interview."

WADA has not been able to confirm that the product is actually hemoglobin.

Operation Adelrath became public knowledge in February 2019 when Austrian police raided the Nordic Ski World Championships and then German police raided Schmidt's clinic in Erfurt.

Many professional cyclists were involved in the investigation. Current pros Stefan Denifl, George Pridler, and Kristijan Dulasek all received four-year bans, while Kristijan Koren received a two-year ban along with former pros Alessandro Petacchi and Borut Bozic. Danilo Hondo confessed to blood doping but was not sanctioned.