FDA Alert - Support House Congressional Resolution 342
The Home Coalition is proud to partner with the American Association for Health Freedom, an advocacy group that works to protect the right of the consumer to choose and the practitioner to practice. The American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF) has been leading the fight to protect access to estriol, and has gone a step further in addressing the FDA's incompetence by launching a campaign and petition to reform the FDA, available at www.reformfda.org. Working together we can protect access to estriol, but we need your help. As the HOME Coalition's February 4th ad in the New York Times highlighted, the FDA has essentially banned estriol – a naturally occurring human estrogen that is a vital ingredient in compounded bio-identical hormones. This FDA attack on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, seemingly instigated by Wyeth Pharmaceutical, has mobilized the health freedom community's outrage against FDA actions.
In 2005, when Wyeth filed a "Citizens' Petition" demanding that the FDA ban bio-identical hormones which happen to compete with Wyeth's synthetic hormones, thousands of men, women, and health care practitioners fought back, writing to the FDA in support of bio-identical hormones. In 2007, Senators wrote draft legislation that would severely restrict and possibly deny access to critical compounding medications. Many groups worked together to share information and resources and eventually the momentum of the bill was halted and one Senator pulled his intent to support.
Earlier this year, the FDA sent letters warning seven compounding pharmacies that they made false claims about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. They then essentially banned estriol – a crucial ingredient in most bio-identical hormones. They stated that estriol is not approved and unless they have a valid investigational new drug application, pharmacy operators may not compound drugs containing estriol
For more background how this situation came about that has brought us to the current need for action, read the timeline of events leading up to this action. (see our Timeline for more information)
On May 19, 2008, members of Congress received a letter from 14 "medical and women's groups" supporting the FDA's ban on estriol. Several sources have indicated that this letter was coordinated by Wyeth.
Today, organizations are working together (with members of Congress) to support House Congressional Resolution 342 which calls for an end to the FDA's ban on bio-identical estriol, a vital ingredient in compounded bio-identical hormone treatments for women.
Write Your Representatives to Show Your Support
The American Association of Health Freedom (www.HealthFreedom.net)has also coordinated various organizations in a letter writing campaign to Congress. These organizations (medical societies as well as consumer groups) have written letters of support for House Congretional Resolution 342 which AAHF hand-delivered on Tuesday, June 3. Why June 3rd? To cordinate with hundreds of compounding pharmacists lobbying on Capitol Hill lobbying for the right to continue to compound individualized medicines for patients who need them and, and especially House Congressional Resolution 342.
Now is the time to act. Let's hit them from all sides – in the media, in the halls of Congress, and back home with the voters. If you have not contacted your representatives yet, there is no better time than now. Make your voice even stronger by encouraging your friends and family to write as well and post this article in blogs and forum!
