McCain and Dorgan: Strange bedfellows

If the bill passes, “Big Pharma” will reap dramatic profits from the sale of newly declared prescription drugs out of the treasure trove of natural products mined from dietary supplements. America’s sick, elderly and those least able to defend themselves will once again be at the mercy of the unholy relationship between big business and big government bureaucracy. Misguided Sens. McCain and Dorgan seem eager to introduce bills that will squander tax-debt dollars, reap billions in profits to the pharmaceutical industry, and burden an already fragile system with additional regulation that may stifle scientific discovery and technological advancement. Our elected legislators sock it to the people who take niacin to support good cholesterol and fish oil to support vascular health. They may ban vitamin D and vitamin C that will help support bone health and a robust immune system. And they call their bipartisan bill the “Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2020.” That merely proves that the profit-hungry pharmaceutical lobby has sunk its teeth into both sides of the Senate aisle.

Steven Joyal, M.D., is vice president of Science and Medical Affairs of the Life Extension Foundation.