For example, the agency has known for years about evidence showing that people who use Zicam Cold Remedy nasal jell and swab products could lose their sense of smell. It was only this year, though, that the agency told consumers, warning them of the danger.
“Companies must have a realistic expectation that if they are crossing the line, they will be caught, and that if they fail to act ... we will,” new FDA chief Margaret Hamburg recently told food and drug companies.
There will undoubtedly be opposition from companies that stand to lose millions of dollars through FDA enforcement. The Washington Post recently reported that executives of the company that makes Zicam said the warning about their products cost the company $33 million in lost sales.
We hope the FDA’s strong enforcement efforts continue. The agency is there to protect consumers, not companies’ profits.
lasvegassun.com
FDA taking action
Strong regulatory stance under the new administration is a good sign for consumers
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.
People’s fears about swine flu have given rise to a cottage industry on the Internet that promises ways and wares to ward off the virus. There is no shortage of alleged remedies and prevention techniques, including ultraviolet lights that are said to destroy the virus and supplements advertised to be better than the swine flu vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says those are bogus claims, and it has moved swiftly to crack down on people peddling fake remedies and making claims they cannot prove.
The agency has also warned consumers to use “extreme care” when purchasing products over the Internet that claim to be effective against swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.
This is a good sign that change has come to the FDA, a regulatory agency that for years has been dormant. Under the George W. Bush administration, with its anti-government agenda, the FDA and other regulatory agencies had their budgets gutted and were hindered from doing their jobs. Under President Barack Obama, things are changing for the better.
For example, the agency has known for years about evidence showing that people who use Zicam Cold Remedy nasal jell and swab products could lose their sense of smell. It was only this year, though, that the agency told consumers, warning them of the danger.
“Companies must have a realistic expectation that if they are crossing the line, they will be caught, and that if they fail to act ... we will,” new FDA chief Margaret Hamburg recently told food and drug companies.
There will undoubtedly be opposition from companies that stand to lose millions of dollars through FDA enforcement. The Washington Post recently reported that executives of the company that makes Zicam said the warning about their products cost the company $33 million in lost sales.
We hope the FDA’s strong enforcement efforts continue. The agency is there to protect consumers, not companies’ profits. |
