b'States, thanks to the FDA. ing approval in September 1963 as anwhen I heard that the FDA was consider-Sadly, the list of suppressed effectiveinhalant drug for respiratory problems,ing reclassifying NAC as a drug and was natural-health remedies is a lengthy oneone office in the FDA has decided afterconfident that nothing would come of it and the death toll as a result even length- 57 years (and after 30 years of concur- insomuch as it was grandfathered in by ier. Decades ago, health and biomedicalrent sales of NAC as both a drug and aDSHEA.researchersDurkPearsonandSandysupplement), to argue that NAC is ex- WhatIwasnotpreparedforwas Shaw pointed out that the FDA has beenclusively a drug per Section 201(ff)(3)(B) thatAmazonwouldpreemptivelyban responsibleformoredeathsthanall(i) of the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmet- thesaleofNAC-containingsupple-of the wars in which the United Statesic Act, which section essentially holdsments.This single act has effectively re-has fought from the Revolutionary Warthat any ingredient first approved andmoved NAC from the marketplace and to the Vietnam War. I agree and wouldsold as a drug cannot later be sold as ajeopardizedthehealthofconsumers. even update that timeline to include thesupplement. The irony that other ingre- This is even more troubling coming at present, endless wars. dients, such as potassium, niacin, anda time when we are dealing with a pan-even fish oil, have long been marketeddemic and the need for immune support The Latest Target: and sold both as drugs and as supple- ismoreimportantthanever.Because N-Acetylcysteine ments appears to have been lost on theof this action by the FDA, which is be-So, we should all well know by nowtone-deaf FDA. ing enforced by Amazon, many vitamin that the FDA is constantly hyper-alertIn July 2020, the FDA sent warningcompanies have decided to comply and foranythreattothepharmaceuticalletters to seven supplement companiessimply remove NAC entirely from their paradigmwithinwhichitoperatessellinghangoverproductscontainingproduct line.and profits. That is why you have seenNAC, claiming in its letter, among oth- For OLA LOA it has meant redesign-HydroxychloroquineandIvermec- er things, that NAC was not lawful foring our product formulas and creating tinattackedasineffectiveandevensale as an ingredient in a dietary sup- new packaging, which comes at a signifi-unsafe, even though both drugs haveplement because NAC had already beencant cost and delay along with lost sales. long been shown to be effective treat- approved as a drug prior to such sup- It has also meant that we are unable to mentsforCOVID-19andaremuchplementsales.OrsotheFDAsOfficedistribute through the largest retailer in saferalternativesthanthecurrentof Nutrition and Food Labeling, whichthe World, which for many consumers is experimentalmRNAinjectionsnoisilysent the warning letters, says. This Of- the only place they shop and learn about promotedbygovernmentsandmassfice only considers claims on labels anddietary supplements.media worldwide. labeling. It is not concerned with mak- With more than 1,500 NAC-contain-AsNationalHealthFederationing decisions about whether or not aning products on the market, OLA LOA is (NHF) Board member and former long- ingredient can be marketed as a dietarynot the only supplement company with time retail health-food store owner Mi- supplement, or part of one. a dilemma on its hands. But refusing to acknowledge any dilemma, the Natural chael LeVesque has pointed out, WhatThe Industry Reacts ProductsAssociation(NPA)hasbeen does NAC do that makes it such an im- Yet, on that flimsy basis and beforecorrectly advising its members to contin-portant nutrient to keep on the shelvesany final agency action on the matter hadue selling NAC-containing supplements ofstoreseverywherewithoutapre- been issued, Amazon.comthe largestsince the FDA has not yet taken final ac-scription?[T]he practical side is thatonline seller of supplementsstoppedtion on NAC and since it is still an open painters, smokers, and anyone exposedselling NAC, although one of my clientsquestion as to when NAC first appeared to toxins will want to use it for its pro- has recently said that she can still buyonthemarketasadrug.NPAspresi-tectivebenefits.Anyonewhowantsand has bought NAC from Amazon. dent, Daniel Fabricant has spoken plain-lustrous, strong, and healthy hair andGregKunin,CEOofOLALOA ly,Likewevetoldourmembers,sell nail growth will want to use it. AnyoneProducts and NHF Vice-President, prob- itdirect.Sellitthroughothervendors whosuffersfromamultitudeofail- ably spoke for many when he reflectedbecause its not an unlawful ingredient. ments will want to use it. Anyone onthat, NAC has played a significant roleThis is by no way a closed chapter with radiation or chemotherapy will want toin our products since we launched ourFDA on NAC. I agree.use it. Anyone suffering from immunecompany back in 1999.We were proudTheCouncilforResponsibleNutri-function loss, lung and breathing prob- to be the first vitamin drink to providetion(CRN),anothertradeassociation, lems,orHIVorotherdiseaseswillcompletemethylationsupportalongalso agrees. In a powerful letter, dated want to use it. with NAC, which plays a role in the pro- December4,2020,CRNsSteveMister And,yet,offeringtheverybelatedduction of Glutathione, the master anti- and Megan Olsen challenged the FDAs claimthatNAChadreceivedmarket- oxidant of the body. Yet, I was stunnedactions as legally invalid.H ealtHF reedomN ews /s ummer2021 7'