Anti-Doping agency takes aim at DSHEA

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is taking a stand on illegal steroids. With the support of the Olympic Committee, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, the agency announced in December plans to confront manufacturers who produce supplements that contain steroids. USADA is alarmed by the ease with which illegal steroids are available from online retailers as run of the mill as Amazon.com.

USADA is calling for supplments companies to register with FDA, provide FDA with a list of ingredients, labels and master formulations and a 75-day premarket notice for New Dietary Ingredients and products that contain steroids (including pro-hormones and hormone analogues).

Most industry associations support the move, though not all experts agree. "The only people this will hurt is legitimate industry that are obeying the law. The people who are knowingly selling these products are not going to wake up one day and say they will comply with the law," said Marc Ullman, of Ullman, Shapiro & Ullman.

"In the most recent release, many industry veterans see only another attack on DSHEA, and to be correct, the group still recognizes what it sees as failings in DSHEA, but also recognizes that the companies involved are largely 'rogue' and there are legislative 'loopholes' and gray areas that are the main issue and problem," says Len Monheit, director of the Supply Group, FI's umbrella portfolio.