The maker of a dietary supplement some parents use to treat autism symptoms is ending sales of the product just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration raised concerns over the drug’s safety.
Several pharmacies which sold the drug called OSR#1 say the drug maker, CTI Science, will not be offering the product after Thursday.
The compound originated to treat wastewater in mines, but was marketed in pill form as a dietary supplement and some parents believe it helps mitigate symptoms of autism. But in June, officials at the FDA sent a letter to the drug maker questioning the safety of OSR#1 and raising concerns that it was not labeled to warn users of possible side effects like problems with the pancreas or hair loss.
FDA officials say they have not received any reply to their letter, reports the Chicago Tribune. To read more click here.
Good news! Let’s get all thesnake oil off the market. I remeber when a homeopath suggested I try giving my son Zinc Drink ( a zinc supplement) — one quick Google search of zinc side effects made me glad I didn’t try that. The product had not been tested on children and the vagueness of what it was supposed to do (improve his language? help him sit still? help his behaviors?) were not worth the risk.