LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee will retest all doping samples from the Beijing Games to check for traces of a new blood-boosting drug.

The IOC says the samples are being sent to the doping lab in Lausanne, Switzerland.

IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau says the samples will be tested specifically for CERA, an advanced version of the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO.

The IOC conducted more than 5,000 drug tests during the Beijing Games.

Wednesday's decision to reopen the samples was taken after French officials detected CERA during retesting of samples from the Tour de France.