Washington, D.C.—The Natural Products Association (NPA) shared news that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a request by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) to hold a public hearing on FDA's position on Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN). FDA's stance: A public comment period would be sufficient on the matter. This, NPA said, is despite the fact that NMN is a widely used ingredient in thousands of natural products that Americans enjoy daily
“FDA has completely abdicated its duty to transparency and appropriate regulatory practice for dietary supplements, and this is the latest proof,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., NPA President and CEO. "A public comment period and a public hearing are entirely different, and the agency knows that. FDA continues to hide behind the ‘Administrative Iron Curtain,’ citing our joint citizen’s petition with the Alliance for Natural Health as the rationale for not holding a public hearing on NMN."
The petition was filed following a FDA notification declaring that NMN is not a legal dietary ingredient. As WholeFoods has reported, NPA and ANH requested that FDA:
- Determine nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is not excluded from the definition of a dietary supplement under 21 U.S.C. §321(ff)(3)(B);
- Commit to exercising enforcement discretion in connection with the marketing and selling of NMN in or as a dietary supplement; or
- In the alternative, recommend the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) issue a regulation after notice comment, finding NMN would be lawful.
“This is yet another demonstration that the agency views the dietary supplement industry and the millions of Americans who use supplements every day as second-class citizens," Dr. Fabricant said. "As we’ve seen with NMN, NAC, CBD, and others, its enforcement of the laws governing supplements is often inaccurate or inconsistent. It conveniently ignored conducting a performance review of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) in the independent evaluation of the Human Foods Program, and now the agency is proposing the elimination of the ODSP altogether. FDA needs to face the facts that accept the fact that supplements can play a positive role in consumer health and start to embrace its role in regulating this important area as the law requires.”
Call for Grassroots Action
Natural products industry members are encouraged to join NPA's efforts. Previously, NPA filed a citizen petition and lawsuit against FDA, and was able to secure final guidance for N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC). Now, NPA is activating its grassroots network and encouraging all health advocates to help protect NMN by writing Congress here.
