Sunscreen Claim Crackdown Urged
The Food and Drug Administration needs to stop sunscreen manufacturers from making "false and misleading" claims about their products, according to a petition filed by the Connecticut Attorney General. "Products with false labels give consumers a false sense of securityscreening out UVB rays that cause burning or reddening, but possibly not UVA rays that damage deeper layers of the skin, where they can lead to melanoma and other deadly cancers," said Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in a statement. Mr. Blumenthal said the FDA was supposed to implement rules in 1999 that would have prohibited sunscreen makers from claiming their products "block all harmful rays," or are "waterproof," or have SPF ratings above 30. Also, there is no rating system for UVA rays, but many sunscreen makers advertise UVA protection, Mr. Blumenthal pointed out. While an FDA spokeswoman said the agency cannot comment on the petition, she did say a sunscreen regulation addressing UVA testing and labeling as well as other issues is in final clearance at the agency.
D.C. Tops in Sun Savvy
The nation's capital has been ranked No. 1 in terms of its population's knowledge of sun safety, according to a survey from the American Academy of Dermatology. Nearly half of Washington residents said that people do not look healthier with a tan, 66% knew that a base tan is not a healthy way to protect skin from sun damage, and 68% knew that it is not smarter to tan indoors using a tanning bed. Residents of New York City were the second-most knowledgeable, followed by Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles, Dallas, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and a three-way tie among Idaho, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Despite its sunny, warm climate year-round, Miami managed to come in third because 45% of residents there did not get a tan last year, according to the AAD. Attitudes and behaviors varied widely. Overall, a majority of Americans (73%) agreed that people looked more attractive with a tan, 42% said they had sunbathed in the last year, and 65% got a tan last year. But 65% knew that sun exposure during childhood is related to skin cancer in adulthood, and 58% knew that indoor tanning is not smarter. The results were based on an online survey of 3,342 randomly selected men and women in 32 U.S. metropolitan areas and states that was conducted in February.
Ranbaxy Buys BMS Derm Brands
Ranbaxy Laboratories Inc. has purchased 13 dermatology products from Bristol-Myers Squibb: Balnetar, Desquam-E, Desquam-X, Eurax, Exelderm, Halog, Kenalog Spray, Lac-Hydrin, Lowila, Pernox, Sebulex, Ultravate, and Westcort. The products are used for acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, fungal infections, and scabies. Ranbaxy, a subsidiary of the India-based Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., has what it calls the largest-selling isotretinoin formulation, Sotret. In a statement, Venkat Krishnan, Ranbaxy's regional director for North America said that the acquisition would help the company build its dermatology franchise, and, "it enables Ranbaxy to establish an immediate presence in the high-value segments of dermatitis, psoriasis, antifungals, and scabies," he said. Ranbaxy will start promoting the products immediately, according to a company spokeswoman.
New FDA Risk Panel
Following an Institute of Medicine recommendation, the Food and Drug Administration has created a new advisory committee that will be charged with helping the agency better communicate the risks and benefits of pharmaceuticals and other products it regulates. In 2006, the IOM's report, The Future of Drug Safety: Promoting and Protecting the Health of the Public, urged Congress to establish a new advisory panel that would weigh in on FDA's communications about safety and efficacy to health care providers and the public. The agency found an administrative process that let it establish the committee without congressional action. FDA is now seeking 15 members to serve on the Risk Communication Advisory Committee, including experts on risk communication, social marketing, health literacy, journalism, bioethics, and cultural competency.
DTC Ads Still Fall Short
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements emphasize individual drugs over conditions, don't do enough to emphasize risk, and minimize the importance of underlying health issues, according to a panel that reviewed such advertisements for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The review was undertaken to determine if consumer-directed marketing is meeting PhRMA's voluntary guiding principles, which were adopted in 2005 to address "many of the concerns publicly expressed about DTC advertising." The four volunteer panelistsa pharmacist, a nurse, and two family physiciansalso urged drug makers to include more information in their ads about assistance programs that provide low-cost or free medications. In a separate report, PhRMA said that comments it received from consumers on DTC ads indicated that many were confused about the ads' contents and thought they did not present a balance of risks and benefits. The organization received 458 comments from July to December 2006, mostly from consumers; 10% were from health professionals. The comments go to PhRMA's Office of Accountability, which forwards them for responses from individual drug makers.