CNN.com - Will ephedra products return to stores? - Apr 15, 2005
CNN.com - Will ephedra products return to stores? - Apr 15, 2005: "SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- A federal judge has struck down the FDA ban on supplements containing ephedra, a weight-loss aid linked to dozens of deaths, but it's too early to tell whether the product will be back in stores anytime soon.
The judge Thursday ruled in favor of a Utah supplement company that challenged the Food and Drug Administration's year-old ban. Nutraceutical claimed that ephedra has been safely consumed for hundreds of years.
Research shows that the amphetamine-like herb can speed heart rate and constrict blood vessels even in seemingly healthy people, but it is particularly risky for those with heart disease or high blood pressure or who engage in strenuous exercise. Among the deaths linked to the substance was that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler, who collapsed and died during spring training two years ago.
The judge's decision was seen by some anti-ephedra advocates as falling short of an outright reversal of the ban, though a Nutraceutical lawyer declared flatly, 'the ban is gone.' The company said it is too soon to say whether it will put the product back on shelves.
Industry groups said supplements that included ephedra were once used by 12 million people.
Judge Tena Campbell's order prevents the FDA from stopping Nutraceutical from selling its product and sent the case back to the FDA for a determination of what are safe and dangerous levels of ephedrine.
The FDA was evaluating the ruling, but Health and Human Services spokesman William Pierce said the agency 'made the right decision from the standpoint of science and our statutory authority. This is exactly when the dietary supplement law should apply.'
Health officials and Justice Department lawyers are looking at the ruling to determine "
Jeff Pearson
http://www.GettingHealthyUSA.com
keywords: JEFF, JEFF PEARSON, NIKKEN, GETTINGHEALTHYUSA, NIKKEN NUTRITIONAL, FDA, EPHEDRA, DRUGS,
The judge Thursday ruled in favor of a Utah supplement company that challenged the Food and Drug Administration's year-old ban. Nutraceutical claimed that ephedra has been safely consumed for hundreds of years.
Research shows that the amphetamine-like herb can speed heart rate and constrict blood vessels even in seemingly healthy people, but it is particularly risky for those with heart disease or high blood pressure or who engage in strenuous exercise. Among the deaths linked to the substance was that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler, who collapsed and died during spring training two years ago.
The judge's decision was seen by some anti-ephedra advocates as falling short of an outright reversal of the ban, though a Nutraceutical lawyer declared flatly, 'the ban is gone.' The company said it is too soon to say whether it will put the product back on shelves.
Industry groups said supplements that included ephedra were once used by 12 million people.
Judge Tena Campbell's order prevents the FDA from stopping Nutraceutical from selling its product and sent the case back to the FDA for a determination of what are safe and dangerous levels of ephedrine.
The FDA was evaluating the ruling, but Health and Human Services spokesman William Pierce said the agency 'made the right decision from the standpoint of science and our statutory authority. This is exactly when the dietary supplement law should apply.'
Health officials and Justice Department lawyers are looking at the ruling to determine "
Jeff Pearson
http://www.GettingHealthyUSA.com
keywords: JEFF, JEFF PEARSON, NIKKEN, GETTINGHEALTHYUSA, NIKKEN NUTRITIONAL, FDA, EPHEDRA, DRUGS,
posted by Jeff at 2:42 PM
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