Checked 2026-11-10. Independent clinical review has not been completed. WADAFUK is independent of WADA and does not provide medical advice or an individual anti-doping determination.
Prohibited at all times
2026: prohibited at all times (S2). [1]
2026 List, S2.3, printed page 8 · 2026 rules apply from 1 January 2026. Any 2027 material below concerns future rules from 1 January 2027; it is not current clearance.
Identity and legitimate medical use
Mecasermin is recombinant human IGF-1, a 70-amino-acid growth factor. The US INCRELEX label describes treatment of growth failure in children aged two or older with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency, or growth-hormone gene deletion with neutralizing growth-hormone antibodies. It is not a general substitute for growth hormone or approval for performance use. [2]
Health risks
Labelled risks include severe hypoglycaemia with possible seizures, serious allergic reactions, intracranial hypertension and tonsillar or adenoidal enlargement. Malignancy restrictions apply, and postmarketing neoplasms are discussed without establishing a simple causal attribution. These warnings are not an exhaustive substitute for the prescribing information. Evidence for mecasermin cannot validate unrelated IGF-1 analogues. [2]
Animal-derived supplement exposure
A 2013 analytical study reported human IGF-1 in four of six tested deer-antler supplements. This was a small historical sample, not a current-market prevalence estimate, proof of oral performance effects or confirmation of every deer-antler product. [3]
USADA warns that animal-derived products such as deer antler and colostrum can raise anti-doping concerns. A natural label does not settle composition or sporting risk. These findings do not mean that all ordinary foods or all such products contain a prohibited addition. [4]
What remains uncertain
- Supplement findings were checked at primary-abstract depth only.
- No current batch testing, oral bioavailability assessment or individualized treatment recommendation was performed.
Check the sources.
These are concise editorial paraphrases of selected sources, not a systematic review or a reproduction of source tables. Access depth is shown for each reference; an abstract-only check cannot resolve details found only in a full paper.
- WADA 2026 Prohibited List ↗Accessed 2026-11-10 · official_full_text_relevant_sections
Effective date; S0 printed page 4; S2 printed pages 7–8
- DailyMed: INCRELEX (mecasermin) US prescribing information ↗Accessed 2026-11-10 · official_full_text_relevant_sections
Description; indications; contraindications; warnings
- Cox and Eichner 2013: human IGF-1 in deer-antler supplements ↗Accessed 2026-11-10 · abstract_only
EPA HERO reproduced abstract; DOI 10.1002/rcm.6678
- USADA: natural products derived from plants and animals ↗Accessed 2026-11-10 · official_full_text_relevant_sections
Deer antler, colostrum and IGF-1 discussion
Check the current official WADA List and the relevant anti-doping authority for your sport, product, route and circumstances. Do not stop or change necessary treatment based on this page. Ask a qualified clinician about health decisions. Missing evidence does not establish safety.