There is no link between Tiger Woods and the charges that a Toronto sports medicine specialist is facing before a Canadian court, the doctor's lawyer said Friday.

Anthony Galea is facing four charges related to Actovegin -- a drug that is extracted from calf's blood, but is not approved for use in Canada.

His lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said the charges are in no way related to the superstar golfer -- whom Galea has treated in the past.

"Any suggestion of any linkage to Tiger Woods is non-existent," Greenspan said outside a Toronto court on Friday.

"I'm saying categorically it does not relate to anything that's alleged before this court."

A prominent sports medicine doctor, the 51-year-old Galea has treated many top North American athletes, including Woods, sprinter Donovan Bailey, figure skater Patrick Chan, various NFL players and U.S. swimmer Dara Torres. He is also the head team physician for the Toronto Argonauts football team.

Greenspan said any media reports linking his client and his client's patients to performance enhancing drugs are simply untrue.

Such reports, "have been created by speculative journalists who simply would like a wish-fulfillment of a relationship between performance enhancing drugs and Dr. Gallea," Greenspan said.

"He is not involved in that business, nor has he ever been involved in it. I said before and I repeat he is involved in lawful activities and there are no unlawful activities relating to performance enhancement. And he is not involved in performance enhancing drugs in relation to competitive athletes," Greenspan added.

Greenspan spoke to reporters two days after Galea was charged by the RCMP with four criminal counts:

  • Selling an unapproved drug (Actovegin) contrary to Section 9 (1) of the Food and Drugs Act
  • Conspiracy to import an unapproved drug contrary to Section 465 (1)(c) of the Criminal Code of Canada
  • Conspiracy to export a drug contrary to Section 465 (3) of the Criminal Code of Canada
  • Smuggling goods into Canada contrary to Section 159 of the Customs Act

None of the charges have been proven in court.

The RCMP said the charges stemmed from an investigation that started in September.

In September, Gallea's assistant was apprehended leaving Canada with Actovegin. The drug is approved in some European countries and is available in Canada, despite not being approved for use here.

On October 15, police searched Galea's medical facilities in west-end Toronto. The search "resulted in the RCMP seizing unapproved drugs, believed to be Actovegin, from the doctor's office."

RCMP investigators allege Gallea illegally imported and smuggled drugs into Canada, and that he gave them to his patients. Investigators also claim the doctor conspired to export these drugs to the U.S.

But Greenspan said Actovegin is used worldwide and it is his position that there was nothing unlawful about Gallea's use of the substance.

He reiterated that the charges laid against his client were not related to performance enhancing drugs.

"There is nothing performance-related, or performance enhancement-related to the allegations, they all relate to the use of a cocktail or a drug that is part of injury-related recovery," Greenspan told reporters gathered outside a Toronto courthouse.

With files from The Canadian Press