Competing under the banner of GF Team, Pedro Alex dos Santos earned a silver medal at the 2024 IBJJF World Championship, finishing second in his weight division. The result briefly positioned him as a candidate to inherit the world title after the division winner, Yatan Bueno, failed a post-competition drug test. However, Alex's own test returned a positive result for clomiphene — a substance prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Code — eliminating any possibility of him receiving the championship.
Therapeutic Use and the TUE Requirement
Investigation findings confirmed that clomiphene had been prescribed to Alex for legitimate therapeutic purposes. Despite the medical context, he had not secured a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) prior to competing — a procedural requirement that applies to all athletes under IBJJF rules and the broader World Anti-Doping Code framework. Without a valid TUE on file before competition, the therapeutic justification carried no formal standing, and the anti-doping violation was upheld.
Sanctions and Key Dates
Alex's one-year period of ineligibility commenced on July 12, 2024. He was also disqualified from all competitive results obtained at events sanctioned by the IBJJF or any Code signatory organization from June 2, 2024 onward. The case stands as a clear illustration of the procedural obligations athletes carry when using prescribed medications that appear on the prohibited substances list — the responsibility to apply for and secure a TUE falls on the athlete before competition, not after a positive test has been recorded.
