March 27, 2020 – OTC Monograph Reform Passage Press Release

Congress Passes Important Legislation to Help Speed New Sunscreens to Market in Coronavirus Package

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2020
Contact: Ethan Jorgensen-Earp, ethan.jorgensen-earp@hklaw.com

The Public Access to SunScreens (PASS) Coalition, an alliance of public health organizations, physician groups, sunscreen manufacturers and concerned citizens, applauds Congress for including and passing the Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act of 2019 (S. 2740) in its most recent legislative package to address the coronavirus, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (H.R. 748). This legislation represents an important step forward in creating a process to speed new sunscreens to Americans to protect them from the hazards of skin cancer. It also addresses the regulatory status of currently marketed sunscreen ingredients to ensure continued access to these products.
According to the Surgeon General nearly 5 million Americans each year are treated for skin cancer, making it the most common form of cancer in the United States. Treatments for skin cancer result in $8.1 billion per year in health care spending. The alarming rate of skin cancer means that each year there are now more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. Melanoma, attributed primarily to UV exposure, is the most deadly form of skin cancer causing one death per hour in the United States.