Center for Inquiry Invited to Testify Against Homeopathy at FDA Public Hearings | Center for Inquiry

After three-and-a-half years of pressure from the Center for Inquiry for the Food and Drug Administration to address the inadequate regulation of homeopathic products, the medicinal claims of which have no scientific basis whatsoever, the FDA has finally announced public hearings on its handling of homeopathy — and CFI has been invited to provide testimony at the hearing.

In 2011, the Center for Inquiry filed three petitions with the FDA, with one of those petitions asking the agency to address problems in the marketing of homeopathic products, and to develop a regulatory framework that would insist on the same standards for safety and effectiveness as any other drug or medical treatment. (The other petitions dealt with issues relating to a specific manufacturer.)  In 2012, the FDA responded to the petition, stating that it raised “complex issues requiring extensive review and analysis.”  Given the FDA’s announcement of a public hearing, it appears the agency has now conducted sufficient analysis to determine CFI’s petition raises important issues that need to be addressed.

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In its testimony, CFI will highlight homeopathy’s potential for harm, particularly to children who have no choice in the medical treatments they receive. “Perhaps the greatest harm caused by homeopathy is not necessarily caused by the products themselves, but by the fact that people often rely on homeopathic products to the exclusion of proven scientific remedies,” we state. “Homeopathy is unsupported by scientific evidence, ineffective in treating illness and, when relied upon instead of actual medicine, dangerous and even deadly.” The full text of CFI’s testimony will be available on April 20.

Center for Inquiry Invited to Testify Against Homeopathy at FDA Public Hearings | Center for Inquiry

See also:
Skeptics slam homeopathic drugs at FDA hearing

US weighs crackdown on homeopathic remedies over 'significant safety issues'

Homeopathic Products Under FDA Scrutiny

Should Homeopathic Remedies Be Regulated?

Americans who distrust pharmaceutical companies have helped make homeopathic remedies a multi-billion-dollar industry, but critics say it needs more oversight. So-called "natural remedies" are hugely profitable due to increasing popularity. Before hearings began today, the FDA was flooded with public comments. The Center for Inquiry is a nonprofit advocacy group that's pushing the FDA for stricter regulation. Michael De Dora is Director of Public Policy, and he testified at today's first of two sessions.