Page 10 - HOSPITAAL

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 19 december 2017

U.S. health officials to target high-risk alternative remedies

By MATTHEW PERRONE ty or effectiveness before administered via uncon-
AP Health Writer they are sold. But unlike ventional routes such as in-
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. supplements, homeopath- jection or eye drops. Regu-
health officials plan to ic medicines can state lators can issue warning let-
crack down on a growing that they are intended for ters, seize products or pur-
number of unproven alter- specific medical symptoms sue criminal action against
native remedies, focusing and conditions, similar to companies that disregard
on products containing drugs. federal guidelines.
dangerous ingredients that A handful of products in re- The agency will take com-
have occasionally been cent years have been sub- ments on its proposal for 90
linked to serious injury and ject to major safety prob- days before beginning to
death. lems, usually involving po- finalize the plan.
The Food and Drug Ad- tentially toxic ingredients. Consumer advocates said
ministration on Monday is- Last year, the FDA warned the FDA plan makes sense
sued a new proposal for consumers about the risks for products that are most-
regulating homeopath- of teething tablets mar- ly harmless, but can be
ic medicines that have keted by Hyland’s Homeo- dangerous if manufactur-
long been on the fringe pathic after they were tied ers stray from traditional
of mainstream medicine. to seizures and deaths in ingredients, dosing and
The agency plans to tar- infants and children. manufacturing.
get products that pose the
biggest safety risks, includ- FDA testing later confirmed “I think the rules do a good
ing those marketed for chil- the products contained job of going after the things
dren or for serious diseases. high levels of belladonna, that are most problemat-
But under the govern- also called nightshade, a ic,” said Dr. Adriane Fugh-
ment’s framework, the vast This June 16, 2009, file photo shows Zicam Cold Remedy poisonous herb that has Berman, an associate pro-
majority of low-risk prod- nasal gel in Boston. long been used at low fessor at Georgetown Uni-
ucts would remain on the Associated Press dosages in homeopathic versity Medical Center.
market. day snake oil, homeopath- heavily diluted drugs, vita- medicine. The products The FDA hasn’t updated
Popular homeopathic ic products are treated as mins and minerals. were recalled in April. its regulations for homeo-
brands include Zicam Al- drugs under law, but not “People may be putting In 2009, the FDA ordered pathic medicine since
lergy Relief and Cold-Eeze. supported by modern sci- their trust and money in Zicam to stop marketing 1988, when it essentially ex-
Long regarded by scien- ence. therapies that bring little three products that con- empted the industry from
tists as a form of modern- Most remedies contain or no benefit in combating tained zinc gluconate af- basic production stan-
their ailments, or worse — in ter more than 100 users re- dards that are mandatory
products that may cause ported losing their sense of for traditional drugs, like list-
serious and even irrepa- smell. ing ingredients on product
rable harm,” FDA Com- Other dangerous ingredi- labels.
missioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb ents used in homeopathy Hundreds of homeopath-
said Monday on a call with products include nux vom- ic remedies today are
reporters. ica, which contains strych- sold alongside over-the-
Once a niche market, ho- nine. Regulators have is- counter drugs like Tylenol
meopathy products have sued five warning letters and aspirin at pharmacies
grown into a $3 billion in- this year to companies across the U.S.
dustry, according to FDA selling products with night- The National Institutes of
figures. shade or nux vomica. Health has said there’s lit-
Homeopathic products The FDA said its proposal tle evidence that homeo-
are similar to dietary sup- also targets products that pathic medicine is effec-
plements, in that the FDA claim to treat serious dis- tive for treating any spe-
does not review their safe- eases like cancer, or are cific condition.q