EMERGENCY ACTION S 1082

[Guest guest]

May 11th, 2007

Dear Friends of Health Freedom,

TO TAKE ACTION GO TO: AMEND S 1082

 

http://www.healthkeepers.net/issueinline.php

 

Senate Bill 1082 began as a reauthorization bill for the drug-fee

requirements for pharmaceutical companies that were seeking FDA

approval of their drug products. It has now been revised so many

times it is becoming what is known as a " legislative sausage. "

 

We believe there may be 5-6 other amendments in the works.

 

And even as we write this, S.1082 is being held in abeyance while

a " Manager's Amendment " (technical amendments only) is being made to

the bill.

 

Senator Dick Durbin has also jumped into the act with his proposed

amendment to make corrections to existing Food, Drug, and Cosmetic

Act law. His amendment would not move food functions out of the FDA,

leaving supplements to be regulated as drugs.

 

Events in the Senate on this matter are changing rapidly so it is

best to act as if the bill could pass at any time.

 

The current version of S.1082 warrants strong opposition from all of

us for these reasons:

 

• It would create The " Reagan-Udall Foundation, " a side-kick of

the FDA and its pharmaceutical-industry partners. Seven of the

Foundation's twelve board members would be from the drug industry

and the government. This " fatal embrace " partnership - antithetical

to supplements - would dominate this new organization.

• This Foundation would provide political cover for anti-

supplement actions.

• Ostensibly intended to accelerate the drug-approval process,

the Foundation would increase drug-approval costs and the time

involved in obtaining approval.

• The real risk here is one that parallels the ephedra legal case

that Washington attorney Jonathan Emord and his clients have been

fighting. Under current law, foods are presumed to be safe and there

is no need to prove their efficacy (unlike drugs). The risk here is

that the supposedly " independent " (but most likely biased)

Foundation will consider and assess risky certain dietary

supplements on a case-by-case basis that will then lead to their

removal from the marketplace by the FDA. The Foundation, and the

presumptions behind it, create a slippery slope and an environment

for this to happen.

 

This is quite dangerous.

 

Let's kill this bill in its cradle.

 

We urge everyone to immediately contact their Senators asking them

to sponsor an amendment to eliminate any reference, direct or

indirect, to " food " or " food ingredients. "

 

Click here to send a message to the Senators for your state.

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

HealthKeepers Alliance