biostudies-literatureUnknown17(5)Walpurgis KUS Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community of the Federal Republic of GermanyManfred-Donike Institute for Doping AnalysisDue to the presumed lipolytic and anabolic properties, the misuse of human growth hormone (hGH) and its synthetic analogs in sports is prohibited both in- and out-of-competition. Within this research project, the detectability of somatrogon, a recombinant fusion glycoprotein of 22 kDa hGH and the C-terminal peptide (CTP) of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) β-subunit, with current WADA-approved doping control assays for hGH and hCG was investigated. For that purpose, cross-reactivity tests and a somatrogon administration study were conducted, and only "Kit 2" of the GH isoform differential immunoassays proved applicable to the detection of somatrogon administration in serum. In urine, the immunoassay specific for total hCG yielded presumptively positive findings for several post-adminDrug testing and analysis634-646https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12012408biostudies-literatureDetection of the GH analog somatrogon in sports drug testing: Immunological approaches and LC-HRMS/MS.PMC12012408Thomas AThevis MSato MWalpurgis KGeyer HOkano MfalseDetection of the GH analog somatrogon in sports drug testing: Immunological approaches and LC-HRMS/MS.Due to the presumed lipolytic and anabolic properties, the misuse of human growth hormone (hGH) and its synthetic analogs in sports is prohibited both in- and out-of-competition. Within this research project, the detectability of somatrogon, a recombinant fusion glycoprotein of 22 kDa hGH and the C-terminal peptide (CTP) of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) β-subunit, with current WADA-approved doping control assays for hGH and hCG was investigated. For that purpose, cross-reactivity tests and a somatrogon administration study were conducted, and only "Kit 2" of the GH isoform differential immunoassays proved applicable to the detection of somatrogon administration in serum. In urine, the immunoassay specific for total hCG yielded presumptively positive findings for several post-admin2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 May2026-06-01T13:06:39.689Z2025-07-03T03:05:07.472ZS-EPMC120124083899293010.1002/dta.3766