ASADA has refuted reports it advised parties to the Essendon supplements investigation that anti-obesity drug AOD-9604 was not a banned substance.
In written advice to the AFL on Wednesday, ASADA CEO Aurora Andruska said AOD-9604 was a banned substance under the WADA code and reiterated that ASADA had never advised any party otherwise.
"AOD-9604 is not approved for human use and logically it couldn't be considered safe to use," Andruska said.
"ASADA reiterates that at no point has it advised any party that AOD-9604 was permitted in sport, and our advice to the sporting community has always been consistent with WADA."
ASADA's advice followed comments from sports medicine specialist Andrew Garnham on Fox Footy's AFL 360 program that ASADA had advised him in February 2013 that AOD-9064 was not a banned substance.
Garnham, a former member of an AFL Victoria Anti-Doping Tribunal, is now working as a consultant with Essendon.
AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said on Wednesday ASADA's advice was consistent with a WADA statement in April.
"When the Australian Crime Commission report was released in February this year, the report indicated AOD-9604 was not a banned substance. The AFL discussed this at the time with the Essendon FC," Dillon said.
"On April 22 this year, WADA indicated in a statement that AOD-9604 was a banned substance still under pre-clinical and clinical development and that it had not been approved for therapeutic use by any government health authority in the world.
"ASADA advised the AFL their position was consistent with WADA. The AFL has consistently acknowledged the uncertainty concerning the status of AOD-9604.
"The AFL has worked diligently with ASADA to get clarification on the status of AOD 9604 for the purposes of the Essendon investigation."
Dillon reiterated infraction notices could still be issued against Essendon players as the AFL-ASADA investigation into the Bombers' 2012 supplements program continued.
The AFL said Garnham's advisory role with Essendon meant he was now ineligible to sit on the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal should it be required to hear the matter.
