Company Says It Sells 'Legal Anabolic Steroid'

I thought April Fool's Day came early this year when I saw a press release come across the wire this morning. Its title is: "Bodybuilding Supplement News: New Legal Anabolic Steroid Now Available In The USA." What? That can't be. You can't sell anabolic steroids in the United States, at least not legally, right? Is this a joke?

The release goes on to say Zupplements.com is now selling a "new, extreme steroid-like muscle builder" supplement called Nandrox produced by MexiVet USA. The so-called supplement's active ingredient is Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca Durabolin), which the press release calls a "well-researched precursor to the most effective steroid chemical of all time."

Further, the release says Nandrox is classified under a category of dietary supplements called prohormones. The company said its not uncommon for first-time users to see gains of 10 to 15 pounds of lean mass over an eight-week cycle.

Lastly, the release suggested "stacking" (taking multiple products together to optimize benefits) Nandrox with other products, saying, "Nandrox in particular stacks well with nearly every other product in the steroid alternative category."

Ugh. It's eerie for me to even quote this press release because it seems so dangerous—from a health perspective and a legal one.

I hadn't heard of Nandrolone Decanoate before this, and to my knowledge, "prohormones" are not a legal classification of supplements. I reached out for legal advice.

Ashish R. Talati, partner at Amin Talati, a law firm active in the industry, confirmed my suspicions. He said, no, there is no such thing as a legal dietary supplement anabolic steroid, and, no, "prohormone" is not a legal classification. He said Nandrolone Decanoate is a drug, not a supplement, making this product illegal. And while the press release does not mention the precursor ingredient name, Talati said it is likely covered by the Anabolic Steroid Control Act.

"Bodybuilding products claiming to contain steroids or steroid-like substances are illegal," he said. "FDA has the sports supplement industry on top of their priority list for enforcement because of products like this."

There we have it. If we've ever wondered why FDA is stepping up it's enforcement, it's because products like this make it necessary. At least this time, the company isn't hiding; they put the press release out on PR Web, a major distributor of press releases. I hope FDA is listening.