FDA warns homeopathic firms for putting patients at risk with significant violations of manufacturing quality standards

SILVER SPRING, Md., Apr. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted warning letters to four companies who produce homeopathic drug products for significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations, including a letter to King Bio Inc. of Asheville, N.C. The FDA previously warned the public about the agency's serious concerns with the quality of drug products produced by King Bio.

"In late 2017, the FDA proposed a comprehensive, risk-based enforcement approach to drug products labeled as homeopathic and marketed without the required FDA approval. While the agency continues to examine this approach, the homeopathic industry has continued to grow, and we need to continue to address, consistent with our current enforcement policies, situations where products labeled as homeopathic are being marketed for serious diseases and/or conditions where the products haven't been shown to offer clinical benefits. We're committed to continue taking appropriate actions when we believe patients are being put at risk by products that contain potentially harmful ingredients or have significant quality issues. One company that continues to concern us because of the low quality of their operation and the threat their products pose to consumers is King Bio. Despite previous actions we've taken, our concerns remain. The warning letter we're sending is a formal notice to King Bio outlining a number of ongoing, serious violations with their manufacturing operations that must be corrected," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. "Today we've also posted warnings letters to three other homeopathic drug manufacturers for additional concerns we've observed – from the use of toxic substances like snake venom that has the potential to cause harm and does not have demonstrated benefit, to other firms whose products we've found to be contaminated. These actions build on similar steps we've taken over the past year, as we continue to see products labeled as homeopathic that are being marketed without approval for a wide array of diseases and conditions, from chronic pain to cancer. In addition to our concerns with contamination, some products labeled as homeopathic may not deliver any benefit and may have the potential to cause harm. That's why we've proposed a new regulatory approach to prioritize additional enforcement and regulatory actions against certain products labeled as homeopathic. We're focused on products that have the greatest potential to cause risk to patients, including products for vulnerable populations like children. The actions we've taken recently, and over the course of the past year are further warning to all companies that these types of products must be manufactured and labeled appropriately. We're working to finalize our draft guidance in the coming months to help ensure that products that reach consumers are not harmful to their health."

Products labeled as homeopathic have not been approved by the FDA for any use and may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness and quality. Products labeled as homeopathic can be made from a wide range of substances, including ingredients derived from plants, healthy or diseased animal or human sources, minerals and chemicals. These products are often marketed as natural, safe and effective alternatives to approved prescription and nonprescription products and are widely available in the marketplace. These unapproved drugs may cause significant and even irreparable harm if they are poorly manufactured, which can lead to contamination, or may contain active ingredients that aren't adequately tested or disclosed to patients, such as belladonna, which the agency has previously warned against.

The warning letter to King Bio Inc. provides details of flaws in manufacturing operations and quality assurance systems found during a July 2018 FDA inspection of the facility. Beyond the violations found during the inspection, the FDA collected and tested samples of finished homeopathic drug products; results revealed inordinately high microbiological contamination. Additionally, evidence collected during the FDA's inspection indicated recurring microbial contamination associated with the water system used to manufacture drugs. The microbiological contamination of the water system led, in part, to a voluntary recall of more than 900 potentially homeopathic drug products manufactured by King Bio. Following the July 2018 inspection, the FDA alerted consumers and pet owners not to use drug products, including homeopathic drug products, made by King Bio and labeled as Dr. King's, as these products may pose a safety risk to people (especially infants, children, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems), as well as pets due to the high levels of microbial contamination identified at the manufacturing site. The company recalled all drug products made with water marketed for humans and animals.

King Bio manufactures a range of products including those for children, adults and pets. Since August 2018, more than 900 potentially contaminated products manufactured by King Bio have been recalled, including those labeled as Aquaflora, Canada, Dr. King's Natural Medicine(s), Natural Pet, People's Best and SafeCare. Additionally, other products manufactured by King Bio and distributed by other companies under different brand names were also recalled due to contamination. These include products sold under the brand names Sprayology, Silver Star Brand, HelloLife, Beaumont Bio Med and BioLyte Laboratories. 

Today, the FDA also posted warning letters to additional companies for products labeled as homeopathic due to various quality and misbranding violations.

• Red Mountain Incorporated, Oakland Park, Fla. — warning letter for lacking quality oversight while manufacturing homeopathic drug products containing ingredients with potentially toxic effects for consumers, including snake venom.
• Tec Laboratories Incorporated, Albany, Ore. — warning letter for releasing products marketed for use with children, without conducting testing to ensure they were free from objectionable levels of microbial contamination. The company also did not adequately investigate test results that found high microorganism levels in its water system
• B. Jain Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Rajasthan, India — warning letter after FDA investigators observed insects in the facility and in ingredients used to make its products.

The FDA has taken similar actions this year, including a warning letter to Nutra Pharma Corp., Boca Raton, Fla.; as announced earlier this month, the FDA issued a warning letter regarding the company illegally marketing unapproved products labeled as homeopathic with claims about their ability to treat addiction and chronic pain; the agency also alerted consumers to this health fraud scam. In February, the FDA issued a warning letter to Pure Source LLC, Doral, Fla. for distributing drugs made with contaminated raw materials.

In December 2017, the FDA proposed a risk-based enforcement approach that prioritizes enforcement and regulatory actions involving drug products labeled as homeopathic and marketed without the required FDA approval that have the greatest potential to cause risk to patients. Given the concerns about the proliferation of potentially ineffective and harmful products labeled as homeopathic, the FDA stated when it issued the draft guidance that it would consider taking additional enforcement and/or regulatory actions, consistent with its current compliance policies, in the interest of protecting the public. We expect to finalize this guidance soon. 

The FDA encourages healthcare professionals and consumers to report adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of any of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

• Complete and submit the report online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; or
• Download and complete the form, then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.

For reporting adverse drug events in animals, please see How to Report Animal Drug Side Effects and Product Problems.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Media Inquiries: Jeremy Kahn, 301-796-8671, [email protected] 
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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