Categories: Need to know

Tiger Woods doctor is charged with smuggling, doping

Famed Toronto doctor faces 20 years in jail

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 6:26pm - 11 Comments

A prominent sports medicine doctor—whose clients have included Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, and the Toronto Argonauts—faces 20 years in jail. Dr. Anthony Galea of Toronto is well known in the professional sports world for his use of “platelet-rich plasma therapy,” a “blood-spinning technique” which speeds recovery from injuries. Now, authorities allege that Galea smuggled actovegin, a derivative of calf’s blood that is not approved for medical use, across the U.S border for use on professional athletes. He is also accused of practicing in the U.S (on Major League Baseball and National Football League players) without a license. Perhaps most shockingly, he is accused of illegally injecting HGH “drug mixtures” into athletes. The charges follow an eight-month FBI investigation into the Toronto doc. Galeo prescribed anti-inflammatories to Alex Rodrigues last year, in addition to treating Tiger Woods.

Toronto Star

Bookmark and Share
  • jj33

    Why is he getting in trouble for helping athletics. I don't understand why a doctor can't treat people just because its not approved. If the patient is better then there is nothing wrong.

    • aaron

      Just on the topic of unapproved treatments the issue is that it's very hard for a patient to know if a treatment is effective. There's unfortunately a lot of snake oil and snake oil salesmen out there. Sometimes the patient just loses money, other times they lose the benefit of real medicine, and in a few cases the snake oil itself is dangerous.

    • szs

      Because if it isn't approved then it hasn't been proven safe or effective.

  • Ken Roberts

    Why is the Headline "Tiger Woods Doctor" if he only traeted woods 3 or 4 times. My family doctor sent me to a specialist for some treatment once and I went about 4 times. Is the specialist "my doctor", I won't consider him that.

    • TedTylerEzro

      Sells papers.

  • and another thing..

    and we care why…….

  • delford t louis

    not good to point fingers at athletes only… maybe this is how science evolves, why mention tiger woods…does one detect jealousy and hypocrisy here?!

  • Big Bob

    HAhahahahahahhahahahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahaha Tiger Woods can suck it

  • Big Bob

    Brett cpuld go jump off a bridge

    • Big Bob

      Brett GO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE

  • Arlene

    I "walked" into a hospital for a routine procedure, spinal cord stimulator. The Dr. said it was a piece of cake, he had done 200/300
    of them. No problem. But HE DID NOT READ MY OP NOTES OR CT
    SCANS I gave him. He came out of the O.R..1 hr later and told my
    husband " I am sorry I paralyzed your wife from the waist down" That
    was 21 months ago. I was in hosp, re-habs & nursing homes from Dec. to April. I stil am paralyzed. My knee is the problem now, torn ACL,
    torn meniscus, arthritis. Much severe pain.

Previous

Next

From Macleans