Public Access to SunScreens Coalition Responds to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Call for Public Comments Regarding Skin Cancer Prevention in U.S.
PASS Coalition Calls on CDC to Urge FDA to Clear 10-Year Backlog in Sunscreen Applications
(Washington, DC) –The Public Access to SunScreens (PASS) Coalition this week submitted comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in response to the CDC’s request for public comments regarding efforts to help prevent skin cancer in the United States. The CDC’s request made in the Federal Register can be seen here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-08-05/pdf/2013-18766.pdf
In its comments, PASS requests the CDC to “urge the FDA to clear the 10-year backlog in new sunscreen applications and create a predictable, transparent and timely review process for pre-market approval of new sunscreen ingredients.”
PASS notes that “American consumers have limited choices when it comes to broad-spectrum sunscreen products. This is attributed to FDA’s decade-long delay regarding eight new sunscreen ingredient applications. This sunscreen technology currently awaiting approval before FDA has been widely available in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, in some cases for over 15 years.”
PASS continues by saying, “At a time when cases of skin cancer outnumber the occurrence of all other cancers, and one American dies every hour from melanoma, a lethal form of skin cancer, it is imperative for Americans to have access to the latest safe and effective sunscreen products available.”
The PASS Coalition is a multi-stakeholder coalition of public health organizations, dermatologists, sunscreen ingredient companies, and concerned citizens who will work collaboratively with the FDA, the White House and Congress to establish a timely and transparent framework for approval of the next generation of UV active filters for Over-the-Counter (OTC) sunscreens.
The current membership of the PASS Coalition includes: the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, The Skin Cancer Foundation, the Sun Safe Tee Program, Dr. Harry Fallick, Dr. Elizabeth Hale, Dr. Henry Lim, Dr. Warwick Morison, Dr. Nadim Shaath, Dr. Steven Wang, Ashland Inc., BASF Corp., Beiersdorf, DeWolf Chemical, Inc, Fitz Chem Corporation, L’Oréal USA Products, Inc, McCullough & Associates, Proctor & Gamble and the Suncare Research Laboratories.
PASS Coalition’s full comments can be accessed here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2013-0014-1013