FDA Ban on Product Derived from Rice Yeast Signals Massive New Attack Over Intended Use of Dietary Supplements

ASSISTANCE URGENTLY NEEDED TO AWAKEN PUBLIC!

Supplement Consumers World Wide: PLEASE pay VERY close attention to the US FDA's BAN on Cholestin, a dietary supplement derived from Chinese red rice yeast which effectively lowers cholesterol.

Cholestin is manufactured by a company called Pharmanex. Pharmaceutical Giant MERCK has lobbied the FDA arguing that the product is a "drug" because it contains a naturally occurring substance that is similar to, but distinct from the drug lovastatin (which is marketed by Merck as "Mevacor.") (In addition to the substance which is similar to lovastatin, the red rice yeast also contains nine other active ingredients which undoubtedly make it synergistically much SAFER than Mevacor.)

Long time foe of the dietary supplement industry Bruce Silverglade of so called "Center for Science in the Public Interest" (an inside the beltway shill group for pharmaceutical interests) was quoted in the May 21st Washington Post as saying "What this case stands for is the proposition that just because a substance occurs naturally in the food supply doesn't necessarily make it a dietary supplement." "The distinction is important" says Silverglade. "Products like lovastatin treat dangerous conditions that should be monitored by medical professionals" says Silverglade. (When Silverglade makes THIS kind of statement, we had BETTER be ON GUARD! This guy has a LONG history of attacking dietary supplements as a stooge for the FDA, and he is ALWAYS widely quoted by the mass media. I've been battling Silverglade and so called "Center for Science in the Public Interest" since 1989, and have always thought they had a particularly Orwellian name.)

Bill McGlashon, president of Pharmanex told the Washington Times that the FDA is doing the bidding of the pharmaceutical industry, and in particular lovastatin maker Merck, which has been asking the FDA to take action. "The reason this whole thing began is because of Merck. Its REAL CLEAR what this is about," McGlashan said.

Pharmanex, makers of Cholestin is contesting FDA's action, and a hearing is scheduled for sometime this month (June) in Utah. I will be monitoring this VERY closely, and need YOUR help to do so.

FDA isn't requiring Pharmanex to remove the product from store shelves, but they have banned ADVERTISING for the product and are currently BARRING FUTURE IMPORTS OF THE CHINESE RED RICE YEAST EXTRACT because it competes with the sale of MEVACOR. Not even the FDA disputes the fact that Cholestin is safe, or that it effectively reduces cholesterol (!!) FDA's action against Cholestin occurred on May 20, and was announced the next day in the Washington Post, New York Times, and other papers. FDA is using cholestin as a test case in a campaign to attack ALL dietary supplements based on intended use!! If they beat Pharmanex in court, what will be NEXT???

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