Federal agents raided the headquarters for Ergopharm, the dietary supplement company led by chemist Patrick Arnold. Ergopharm distributed the 6-OXO supplement that MLB baseball player J.C. Romero blamed for his failed drug test (”Feds raid lab of ex-BALCO chemist,” January 15).

Patrick Arnold, who created “The Clear” – a drug distributed through the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative to disgraced sprint queen Marion Jones and other high-profile athletes – leads ErgoPharm Inc., the company raided Wednesday in Champaign, Ill.

Agents for the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a document warrant at the company. No arrests were made, officials familiar with the action said.

DEA agents from the Chicago headquarters carried out the raid with assistance from the Champaign police department, spokesmen from both agencies confirmed. The case originated with the DEA offices in Boston, spokesmen from the other agencies said.

Spokespersons for the DEA have been tight-lipped about the reason for the document warrant, but some journalists are reporting that federal agents are looking for evidence corroborating allegations by Phillies’ J.C. Romero and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) that Ergopharm “spiked” its supplements.

J.C. Romero’s androstenedione contamination defense has seemingly been discredited since 6-OXO itself produces a FALSE positive for androstenedione (”Ergopharm Response to Positive MLB Drug Tests,” January 13).

However, while advances in analytical testing and sensitivity in detection of metabolites have made drug testers more proficient at catching cheaters, the unintended consequence is that a perfectly legal and untainted substance can cause a positive test for a banned or illegal substance. Although little information has been released about the specifics of the alleged positive test, our preliminary investigation of these allegations has uncovered information showing that the main active ingredient in our product (androst-4-ene-3,6,17-trione; also known as 4-Etioallocholen-3,6, 17-Trione) will trigger a false positive for androstenedione.

The entire “androstenedione contamination” defense appears to have obfuscated the fact that 6-OXO itself, as an aromatase inhibitor, is banned by the MLB anyway.

The steroid witch-hunt continues.