Press release: Contamination of Relax Pro with Trazodone

It was recently announced that a batch of Relax Pro contaminated with Trazodone led to a positive doping test for the horse Dia van het Lichterveld Z, ridden by Belgian eventing athlete Tine Magnus during the Olympic Games in Paris.

We deeply regret this incident—for Tine Magnus, for the entire Belgian eventing team, and for the equestrian sport as a whole. This is not a case of deliberate doping aimed at enhancing performance but rather an unfortunate case of contamination. As soon as thorough research confirmed that a batch of Relax Pro contained traces of Trazodone, Global Medics transparently communicated this objective information on its official website, pending further in-depth investigation.

Immediate measures taken

Although this situation is beyond our control, we take it extremely seriously and have taken immediately took responsibility and took the following measures:

• As a precaution, the affected batches (24D02CA and CA/23J31) were immediately withdrawn from the market. If you, as an end user, still have Relax Pro in your possession with the mentioned lot numbers, please contact Global Medics immediately regarding the product return. We emphasize that at no point was there any risk to equine health, as this was an accidental contamination with an extremely low concentration and thus a clinically irrelevant dose of Trazodone. We can also confirm with certainty that all newly produced products are completely free of this contamination.
• Our production is outsourced to the external manufacturer Unicum Trade Botanicals, while Global Medics focuses on product development, innovation and distribution. Unicum Trade Botanicals is a respected Belgian producer of nutritional supplements for both human and veterinary use, supplying not only Global Medics but also numerous other equine supplement distributors.
• Global Medics has appointed a legal expert to conduct an objective and legally sound investigation into the exact origin of the contamination in the specific batch of Relax Pro. Current findings indicate that the contamination occurred at the production level, resulting from a contaminated magnesium raw material sourced from Spain. This tainted magnesium, used by Unicum Trade Botanicals in the production of Relax Pro, contained traces of Trazodone. Investigations are still ongoing to determine exactly how this occurred.
  
  

Commitment to quality and safety

For nearly 30 years, Global Medics has been committed to providing high-quality supplements to support equine health, with a worldwide distribution network. Throughout these three decades, this is the first time we have faced a positive doping test.

While Tine Magnus is undoubtedly the greatest victim of this situation, Global Medics has also suffered significant reputational and business damage. We emphatically state that Trazodone was never intentionally added to our products, contrary to some insinuations in equestrian media and on social platforms. This contamination occurred entirely outside of our control, at the raw material supplier level.

A broader issue in the industry

This incident raises an important question: how can supplement distributors and riders protect themselves from unforeseen contaminations of this nature? It is concerning and disappointing that, in such crisis situations, there is not more unity and understanding within the industry to support Tine Magnus and collectively seek solutions for the future.

We remain fully committed to transparency, innovation and the highest quality standards.

In the meantime, we are allowing the experts to complete their investigation, and once the legal inquiry is concluded, we will share the full, objective story.

Global Medics
Truibroek 94/10
3945 Ham
Belgium
info@globalmedics.be