NPA Says FDA Is Hiding Behind Administrative Iron Curtain
Washington- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today flatly rejected a specific request by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), a leading member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to hold a public hearing on the agency’s position on Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN). FDA stated that a public comment period would be sufficient, despite the fact that NMN is a widely used ingredient in thousands of natural products that Americans enjoy daily.
In response, the Natural Products Association (NPA) issued the following statement:
“FDA has completely abdicated its duty to transparency and appropriate regulatory practice for dietary supplements, and this is the latest proof. A public comment period and a public hearing are entirely different, and the agency knows that. FDA continues to hide behind the ‘Administrative Iron Curtain,’ citing our joint citizen’s petition with the Alliance for Natural Health as the rationale for not holding a public hearing on NMN,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Natural Products Association.
On March 7th the Natural Products Association and the Alliance for Natural Health in a Citizen’s Petition to the FDA requested:
- Determine nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is not excluded from the definition of a dietary supplement under 21 U.S.C. §321(ff)(3)(B);
- Commit to exercising enforcement discretion in connection with the marketing and selling of NMN in or as a dietary supplement; or
- In the alternative, recommend the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) issue a regulation after notice comment, finding NMN would be lawful.
NPA and ANH’s full Citizen’s Petition can be viewed here.
“This is yet another demonstration that the agency views the dietary supplement industry and the millions of Americans who use supplements every day as second-class citizens. As we’ve seen with NMN, NAC, CBD, and others, its enforcement of the laws governing supplements is often inaccurate or inconsistent. It conveniently ignored conducting a performance review of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) in the independent evaluation of the Human Foods Program, and now the agency is proposing the elimination of the ODSP altogether. FDA needs to face the facts that accept the fact that supplements can play a positive role in consumer health and start to embrace its role in regulating this important area as the law requires.”
Following a citizen petition and lawsuit against the agency, NPA was able to secure final guidance for N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC). NPA has activated its grassroots network and is encouraging all health advocates to help protect NMN by writing Congress here.
