Ingredients & Safety

Although FDA concluded OTC oral phenylephrine is ineffective as a nasal decongestant in doses up to highest studied level, federal preemption precludes challenges to agency’s regulation of labeling for phenylephrine and other Rx and OTC drugs, according to recent decision in New York federal court.

Dietary supplement ingredient promising enhanced memory and mental clarity marketed widely across the US has been authorized for sale in Europe.

A study recently published in peer reviewed journal Nutritional Bulletin advises those who follow a vegan and vegetarian diet to supplement with vitamin B12, especially women of childbearing age, including those who are planning pregnancies or are lactating, who are "generally higher risk of vitamin and mineral inadequacies and deficiencies, including but not limited to vitamin B12."

EFSA has published new guidance to assist companies navigating the EU’s novel food authorisation process. HBW Insight speaks to experts Dr Mari Eskola of Medfiles and Dr Jérôme Le Bloch of FoodChain ID who offer differing views on the benefits and drawbacks of the guidance for industry.

FDA’s OTC office director details a 2023 guidance as opening doors for NRT innovation at recent public meeting, but researchers and an industry executive note the most recent approval in the US for an innovative NRT was more than 20 years ago and say FDA isn’t allowing sufficient flexibility for approvals of new products or indications other than cessation related to quitting smoking.

FDA tobacco programs chief emphasizes moving smokers to lower risk alternatives and NIDA executive encourages proposals for e-cigarettes as nicotine replacement treatments. FDA also seizes $76m in unauthorized e-cigarettes.

Qnovia notes NRT inhalation product recently received investigational new drug clearance from FDA as agency and NIH say innovation needed smoking cessation to help improve rate of success for quitting the habit that kills around 500,000 US consumers annually.

Now that reporting of cosmetic ingredient use to FDA is no longer voluntary, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review is wading through a tide of data generated by MoCRA registration and listing deadlines.

The Washington State Department of Ecology will try to work with companies that violate the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act, rather than reflexively imposing the $5,000-per-violation fine for first-time offenders, says the law’s implementation planner. She noted financial assistance is available for small businesses, as well as incentives for companies adopting measures “beyond compliance.”

Requests for “enforcement actions are not within the scope of FDA’s citizen petition procedures,” CDER says, rejecting petition dosing device firm Parenteral Technologies submitted as it prepares for workshop on Pediatric Research Equity Act requirements for OTC NDA sponsors.

Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act planner Shari Franjevic acknowledges the Washington State Department of Ecology is authorized to use enforcement discretion regarding the new law’s 1ppm limit on trace lead in cosmetic products, effective 1 January 2025, or raise the ceiling via rulemaking. But it does not seem inclined to do either based on data known to the department at present. 

CRN/Radicle Trailblazing Woman Award to ChromaDex’s Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie; Nourish’s TV ad campaign features US soccer star Alex Morgan; Vitamin Shoppe BodyTech Elite Altered Strength line sponsors Team Red, White & Blues; contract pharma/consumer health product development firm LabConnect appoints Wesley Wheeler CEO; Avanos’ Game Ready is “Recovery Partner” of NFL’s Nick Bosa; Akita adds Robert Hanson to advisory board; and BODi has wrestler as brand ambassador

UK pharma also reaches agreement in principle, subject to DoJ approval, to pay $70m to resolve a whistleblower complaint filed by Valisure, the testing lab which in 2019 raised concerns about a potential link between the use of drugs containing ranitidine, a histamine-2 blocker, and cancer.

NDAs for additional OTC products containing acetaminophen and/or NSAIDs and indicated for use by children between 2 and less than 12 years old would trigger compliance by application sponsors with the act passed in 2003 to address lack of pediatric use information in drug labeling.

Country Life Vitamins launches healthy aging support line as it announces less than half of US consumers in a recent survey were aware of biological processes that affect aging. Groupe Berken and Arctic Biosciences partner to bring to North America herring caviar oil extract in a supplement designed to support optimal health across all life stages.

Regenerative Processing replaces nozzle to prevent backflow for its Regener-Eyes drops but FDA warning states numerous questions about sterility at the firm’s plant and about its procedures and systems for preventing microbial contamination.

Cosmetics Europe’s John Chave highlights the important role that industry must have in educating the public about chemicals used in cosmetic products. The association’s COSMILE Europe database launched last year is one such measure to combat misinformation while industry braces for potential impacts resulting from new hazard categories under the Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP) regulation.

After launching Retaine MGD Advanced, OcuSoft says a release by Bruder Healthcare referenced Retaine MGD trademark and statements from a previous OcuSoft announcement about the original product attributed to an optometrist. B+L, Rohto brand and homeopathic firm Relief Products also make US OTC eye care space moves.

Provision in Wyden and Merkley’s “Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act” referencing FDA authority outside hemp-derived ingredients could provide agency with needed authority to force from the market products labeled as supplements but containing drugs or eliminate the use of many safe ingredients in supplements.

Food Standards Agency tells companies marketing caffeine supplements, “It is your responsibility to ensure food supplements you sell are safe for human consumption.”