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Author Topic: Comments requested about draft homeopathy regulatory guidance  (Read 323 times)

Krik

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Comments requested about draft homeopathy regulatory guidance
« on: November 12, 2019, 02:52:18 PM »

[*quote*]
Consumer Health Digest #19-45
November 10, 2019

Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/william-m-london
., with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D
http://www.quackwatch.org/10Bio/bio.html
. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. Its primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips.

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Comments requested about draft homeopathy regulatory guidance.

In October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made its revised draft guidance document for FDA staff and industry titled "Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic"
https://www.fda.gov/media/131978/download
 available for public comment. The revised guidance indicates that FDA intends to prioritize enforcement and regulatory action for unapproved homeopathic

https://www.homeowatch.org/
drug/biologic products marketed in the United States for which there are:

reports of injury that, after evaluation, raise potential safety concerns
ingredients associated with potentially significant safety concerns
routes of administration other than oral and topica
intended uses for the prevention or treatment of serious and/or life-threatening diseases or conditions
intended uses for vulnerable populations including immunocompromised individuals, infants and children, the elderly, and pregnant women.
significant quality issues
The proposed policy fails to clearly indicate that: (a) homeopathic principles make no sense in light of scientific progress since homeopathy was proposed in the late 1700s, (b) there is no evidence that homeopathic products can prevent or treat any medical condition, and (c) there is no justification for exempting homeopathic products from premarket approval. Comments about the revised draft guidance can be submitted electronically by January 23, 2020
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2017-D-6580-4828


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Classic homeopathy history book updated

Dr. Stephen Barrett has updated and greatly expanded Martin Kaufman's 1971 book on the history of homeopathy in America. During the early 19th century, homeopathic remedies were less dangerous than those of medical orthodoxy and many medical practitioners began using them. As medical science developed, homeopathy's use declined so that by 1970 it appeared headed for extinction. Aggressive promotion, failure of the federal agencies to curb its marketing practices, and increased public interest in "complementary medicine" boosted homeopathy's popularity. But recent research analyses and opposition by skeptical organizations are again threatening its survival. The first half of this 539-page book details: (a) homeopathy's history in the United States, (b) why its basic principles are impossible, (c) what the research shows, (d) how products are deceptively advertised, and (e) how the FDA and FTC have failed to protect the public. The second half of the book includes government policy documents and comments submitted by scientific groups that want stronger government regulation. (People thinking of commenting on the proposed FDA regulations would find these references useful.) The foreword by Dr. Edzard Ernst is a remarkable account of his shift from believer to critic.

Homeopathy in America: The Ups and Downs of Medical Heresy is available to readers within the United States 
https://www.amazon.com/Homeopathy-America-Downs-Medical-Heresy-ebook/dp/B07ZYB86VZ
as a Kindle book for only $9.95. Residents of other countries must order it from the Amazon Web site in their own country. A Kindle device is not needed to read it. Free Kindle reader apps are downloadable for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC
https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16571048011
 

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Unauthorized products list updated

Health Canada has updated its list of unauthorized health products promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss, as a workout aid, or as "poppers," and that are labeled to contain or have been tested and found to contain dangerous ingredients. Unauthorized products have not been assessed for safety, effectiveness, and quality. The possible health dangers may be due to specific ingredients, specific combinations of ingredients, and ingredients not listed on the label.
[Unauthorized products may pose serious health risks
https://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2019/71157a-eng.php
. Health Canada alert, Nov 6, 2019]

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FTC challenges "diabetes cure” publisher

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued Agora Financial, LLC, alleging that it tricks seniors
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/agora_financial_complaint_0.pdf
 into buying books, newsletters, and other publications that falsely promise a cure for type 2 diabetes or promote a phony plan to help them cash in on a government-affiliated check program.

Agora and some of its affiliates allegedly:

*  market publications, including The Doctor's Guide to Reversing Diabetes in 28 Days, primarily to older consumers nationwide, using e-mail distribution lists, online newsletters, affiliate networks, and their own Web sites

* use marketing materials that include-an hour-long video presentation that falsely claims the "hidden cause" of type 2 diabetes is non-ionizing radiation (NIR) exposure from everyday electronic devices like computers, televisions, and cell phones

* tell consumers that the disease can be cured with a combination of hard-to-find natural ingredients called "Himalayan Silk," "Epsom Blue," and "Chromanite," which actually contain widely available supplements, including mulberry, magnesium, and chromium, none of which can cure, treat, or mitigate the disease

*  tout a "100 percent success rate"

* baselessly claim there is a "shocking, hidden" cause for type 2 diabetes that cannot be treated with "mainstream" treatments, and that these treatments may even make consumers' diabetes worse

The agency is seeking to halt the challenged conduct and obtain money back for consumers.
[FTC sues publisher for targeting seniors with phony diabetes cure and money making schemes
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/10/ftc-sues-publisher-targeting-seniors-phony-diabetes-cure-money
. FTC press release, Oct 29, 2019]

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Jen Gunter receives JREF award

Dr. Jen Gunter has received an award from the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF)
https://web.randi.org/home/2018-jref-award
 in recognition for her efforts to provide responsible information on women's health issues and to be a voice of reason against those who promote bogus health and wellness claims. The award is given to the person or organization that best represents the spirit of the foundation by encouraging critical questions and seeking unbiased, fact-based answers. In 2015, the JREF announced its plan
https://web.randi.org/home/jref-status
 to convert itself into a grant making foundation with plans to make a small number of grants totaling approximately $100,000 per year as a pleasant surprise to recipients. Dr. Gunter is the author of The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine published in 2019.
[Gordon M. 'Vagina Bible' tackles health and politics in a guide to female physiology
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/08/27/754728446/vagina-bible-tackles-health-and-politics-in-a-guide-to-female-physiology
. NPR, Aug 27, 2019]

=================================

Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
287 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Telephone: (919) 533-6009

http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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Krik

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Re: Comments requested about draft homeopathy regulatory guidance
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2019, 03:59:32 PM »

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2017-D-6580-4828

[*quote*]
Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic; Draft Guidance for Food and Drug Administration Staff and Industry

This Notice document was issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

For related information, Open Docket Folder
Action

Notice of availability.
Summary

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a revised draft guidance for FDA staff and industry entitled “Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic.” The revised draft guidance, like the original version, describes how FDA intends to prioritize enforcement and regulatory action with regard to drug products, including biological products, labeled as homeopathic and marketed in the United States without the required FDA approval that potentially pose higher risk to public health. In response to comments received, we have revised the draft guidance and are reissuing it in draft form to enable the public to review and comment before it is finalized.
Dates

Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft guidance by January 23, 2020 to ensure that the Agency considers your comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final version of the guidance.
Addresses

You may submit comments on any guidance at any time as follows:
Electronic Submissions

Submit electronic comments in the following way:

Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov

Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to
https://www.regulations.gov
will be posted to the docket unchanged.

Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process.

Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be posted on
https://www.regulations.gov

If you want to submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see “Written/Paper Submissions” and “Instructions”).

Written/Paper Submissions

Submit written/paper submissions as follows:

Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper submissions):

Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.

For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, as confidential, if submitted as detailed in “Instructions.”

Instructions:

All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA-2017-D-6580 for “Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic.” Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as “Confidential Submissions,” publicly viewable at
https://www.regulations.gov
or at the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Confidential Submissions

To submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states “THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” The Agency will review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted on
https://www.regulations.gov
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of your comments and you must identify this information as “confidential.” Any information marked as “confidential” will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information at:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf

Docket:

For access to the docket to read background documents or the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to
https://www.regulations.gov
and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the “Search” box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

Submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to the Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002; or to the Office of Communication, Outreach and Development, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 3128, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the draft guidance document.
For Further Information Contact

Elaine Lippmann, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 51, Rm. 6238, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-3600; or Stephen Ripley, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 240-402-7911.

Supplementary Information

I. Background

In the Federal Register on December 20, 2017 (82 FR 60403), FDA announced the availability of a draft guidance for FDA staff and industry entitled “Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic.” This draft guidance was intended to describe how FDA intends to prioritize enforcement and regulatory action with regard to drug products, including biological products, labeled as homeopathic and marketed in the United States without the required FDA approval that potentially pose higher risk to public health.

In response to comments received, we have revised the draft guidance and are reissuing it to enable the public to review and comment before it is finalized. In particular, we have added a definition of “homeopathic drug product” for purposes of the guidance, added additional explanation of some of the safety issues that contributed to the development of the draft guidance, and clarified the intent to use risk-based factors to prioritize enforcement and regulatory actions involving homeopathic products that are marketed without required FDA approval. In addition, the revised draft guidance removes the statement that the Agency will withdraw the compliance policy guide (CPG) simultaneous with the issuance of the final guidance. Elsewhere in this Federal Register, FDA is announcing the withdrawal of CPG 400.400.

This revised draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The revised draft guidance, when finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on “Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic.” It does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.

II. Electronic Access

Persons with access to the internet may obtain the draft guidance at

either
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm

or
https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm

or
https://www.regulations.gov

Dated: October 21, 2019.
Lowell J. Schiller,
Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2019-23335 Filed 10-24-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P
 
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