The food supplement made by Texan firm USP Labs contains an ingredient called aegeline that has been linked to a recent break out of non-viral hepatitis in Hawaii where there was a death and many hospitalisations.
USP Labs has issued a complete recall of the product but it is believed to remain on-sale at certain online retailers. In the meantime national agencies continue to move against it.
In its warning of last week, the Italian Health Ministry named Prozis.com and Integratorisportivi fitness.it as two websites that continued to sell OxyElite Pro.
Previously the UK, Denmark, Spain, the US, Australia and New Zealand have warned consumers of the lack of safety data for the product favoured by weight lifters and others engaging in intense anaerobic activity.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) also warned consumers off VERSA-1, another USPLabs pre-workout product containing aegeline.
Sourcing, safety
Like now banned DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine or methylhexanamine) before it, the source – plant or not – and safety of aegeline is in question. USPLabs' Jack3D was the most prominent product to carry DMAA before it too was withdrawn by the firm under the weight of international condemnation.
The Hawaiian outbreak saw 56 cases of acute liver damage including one death and two liver transplants.
In the elite sports arena, UK Anti Doping chief executive Andy Parkinson welcomed the actions, “to protect the health of anyone considering using these supplements.”