Americans for Safe and Effective Medicines (ASEM) thanks Senator Jim Banks and a bipartisan group of senators for their leadership in calling on the FDA to take stronger action against companies exploiting “for research use only” labels to illegally sell unapproved drugs to American consumers.
The misuse of “for research use only” labels is fueling a growing black market for unapproved drugs, including not-yet-approved illegal retatrutide. These illicit products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for human use and may lack essential quality controls, leaving consumers vulnerable to contamination, impurities, and mislabeling.
We applaud the bipartisan support for this effort and encourage more members of Congress to join the call for stronger enforcement. We urge Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas to promptly hold the requested briefing and detail how the agency is working with Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice, and other law enforcement partners to stop illegal sales, disrupt illicit supply chains, and hold those that are breaking the law accountable.