News archive 2009

King’s to run anti-doping facility for London 2012

30 Nov 2009, PR 260/09

King's has formed an alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to enable its world-renowned Drug Control Centre to operate a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited satellite laboratory during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The partnership was brokered by King’s Business, the innovation arm of King’s.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced GSK’s status as the Official Laboratory Services Provider and 25th sponsor of the Games today (30 November).

Professor David Cowan, Head of the Department of Forensic Science & Drug Monitoring and Director of the Drug Control Centre, will lead the partnership between GSK and King’s. He played a key role in the successful 2012 Olympic bid, and has been involved in the science of anti-doping across four Winter Olympic Games, two Summer Olympic Games and several Commonwealth Games.  

Track record in anti-doping control

The Drug Control Centre has a track record in anti-doping control, analysing samples collected from athletes competing in major sporting events and training worldwide. Working with UK Sport to implement the UK’s anti-doping policy in sport, the Centre carried out more than 8,000 tests across over 70 sports last year.

The Centre is well respected internationally and has a proven record of successfully delivering analysis services for major games. It was the first human sports drug-testing laboratory established outside of an Olympic Games. 

There will be thousands of samples analysed throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the laboratory will be in operation 24 hours a day for the duration. The facility will be based at one of GSK’s research and development sites in the UK, offering the capacity for King’s to run the laboratory independently, working with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee during London 2012.

Announcing GSK as the latest sponsor, London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe commented, ‘Doping control is a requirement of any Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We have taken a partnership approach to delivering it for London 2012 and I’m thrilled that GlaxoSmithKline is on board. Its involvement, working with the King’s College London experts will see world class facilities available for an independently run anti-doping operation throughout the Games.’

‘The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games provide GSK with a huge opportunity to be part of the delivery of an outstanding world event,’ said Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.

‘I'm delighted we've put this alliance with King’s College London together to ensure that excellent science can play a key role in ensuring the Games are conducted to the highest ethical standards and that athletes can lead healthier lives. The Olympic and Paralympic ideals of people striving to achieve their best are core to those of GSK, as we strive to deliver medicines and vaccines that help patients to do more in their lives. There is great alignment in these missions and I look forward to our people making a significant contribution to the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.’

Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Centre, added ‘I am delighted that GlaxoSmithKline has chosen to make this important contribution to our ongoing work at King's to help deter drug cheats from coming to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With this significant partner we have the capacity to be able to help protect the health of the athlete and the integrity of the Games.’

View the video of the announcement on iKings.



Notes to editors

King's Drug Control Centre
The Drug Control Centre was established in 1978 with the support of the former Sports Council, now UK Sport, (shortly to be UKAD on 14 December 2009), to analyse samples collected from human sports competitors. There are only 35 accredited anti-doping laboratories in the world; the King’s laboratory is the only one in the UK.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/biohealth/research/drugcontrol/

King's Business
King’s Business is responsible for driving innovation within King’s College London. A subsidiary of the College, the company develops new opportunities for engagement with business and the public sector across the whole range of academic disciplines. King’s Business works with academics to deliver research collaborations, exchange know-how, promote consultancy services, license new technologies and create new business ventures. For more information visit www.kcl.ac.uk/business

King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2009) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



Further information
Alison Denyer
Senior Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7848 3073
Email: alison.denyer@kcl.ac.uk

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