According to Russian news agency TASS, the chair of the board at Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindex, who make mildronate, claimed the addition of the substance to WADA’s banned list “came as an unpleasant surprise”.

WADA have been the subject of fierce criticism concerning their handling of the situation surrounding meldonium and were recently forced to clarify their stance.

In a statement, WADA raised the possibility that athletes facing doping bans for meldonium could avoid punishment if below one microgram of the heart attack drug was detected and their failed test came before March 1.

This led to huge criticism and suggestions they had bungled the process, something denied here by WADA President Sir Craig Reedie.

In light of recent news, Juris Bundulis, Grindex’s chair of the Board, wrote in an open letter that “we should ensure that from January 1 next year our drug is no more on the list of banned substances”.

“We have not yet got any answer on the reasons [for banning meldonium],” he added.

Latvia’s Academy of Sciences Ivars Kalvins has also suggested WADA could have to remove the substance from the list as early as the conclusion of this year’s Olympics as they could face legal action due to their perceived lack of research on the drug.

This would lead many to claim it was incorrectly added to the list in the first place.

Kalvins has claimed WADA’s research is incorrect and that their specialists “have got convinced that Mildronate stays in the blood plasma or urine far longer than this could be found by the method of calculations”.

He added to TASS: “WADA will have no other choice after the Olympics as lawsuits will begin to be filed against it.

"Several judicial processes and they will have to back away.

"WADA has stepped on a minefield of unfounded decisions.

“And mines will be exploding.”

The latest voice to add to the chorus of dissent was former SportAccord President Marius Vizer, who questioned Sir Craig about WADA's handling of the ban on meldonium during the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations General Assembly.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has been one of the leading critics and has repeatedly defended those who have failed, insisting not enough work had been undertaken by WADA to determine how long the product remains in the system after being taken.

Mutko and Sir Craig met at the SportAccord Conventionhere  to discuss the issue, with the Scot insisting they were “moving in the right direction”.

More than 200 athletes have tested positive for the recently banned substance after it was added to the prohibited list on January 1.

Many of these have involved Russian athletes, including tennis superstar Maria Sharapova, swimmer Yuliya Efimova and speed skater Pavel Kulizhnikov.