Amin Wasserman Gurnani (AWG) has announced that Robert Durkin has joined the firm as a partner and co-chair of its Regulatory Group in Washington, D.C. Durkin will lead AWG’s regulatory practice alongside firm partner and longstanding Regulatory Group team member Rend Al-Mondhiry. A renowned advisor on complex compliance and enforcement matters for companies of all sizes, Durkin honed his approach through his 12-year career at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including serving as acting director and deputy director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) in the FDA’s Ce ..read more

In July 2024, BMC Medicine’s editorial office retracted a 2013 study, which used DNA barcoding analysis to test 44 herbal products. “The Editor has retracted this article. An investigation by the University of Guelph (U of G) has found evidence of data fabrication in relation to this article. The Editor therefore no longer has confidence in the presented data,” the journal wrote. The study was led by Dr. Steven Newmaster, a botanist and professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. He also co-authored a 2014 study on vegetation surveys in Biodiversity and Conservation that was retr ..read more

Natural Remedies (Bangalore, India) has announced its recognition by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Donor Recognition Program (DRP). This program acknowledges organizations that make significant contributions to improving global public health through the development and implementation of rigorous quality standards. “We are deeply honored to be recognized by the USP for our unwavering commitment to elevating public health through scientifically validated botanical ingredients,” said Suresh Lakshmikanthan, chief business officer, Natural Remedies. “Our longstanding collaboration with USP u ..read more

There is a growing trend that is causing concern among many: some manufacturers are urging practitioners to evaluate herbal ingredients using the criteria applied to single-molecule drugs or pharmaceuticals. This is problematic because evaluating botanical ingredients as drugs impairs the primary reason why consumers and natural-remedy practitioners seek out herbal ingredients: they want these ingredients in their natural form as created by Mother Nature harmoniously supporting human health. Natural ingredients have been favored over drugs due to concerns that drugs are often synthetic compoun ..read more

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) a revered herb in Ayurvedic medicine, has been used for centuries to promote overall well-being and support a wide range of health benefits. KSM-66 Ashwagandha stands out due to its extensive clinical backing and sustainability practices, offering a natural solution for modern health challenges. The 7 Superstar Qualities of KSM-66 Ashwagandha  Reduces Stress and Improved Sleep  Ashwagandha is one of the most revered adaptogens, used for over five millennia to help support the body’s natural balance. Ashwagandha has been long known and relied up ..read more

Pure Branding (Leverett, MA) has announced the launch of its 2024 U.S. Supplement Consumer PureSegmentation Research and Typing Tool. This comprehensive, census-balanced market research is based on 2,332 quantitative interviews with U.S. supplement consumers, yielding a margin of error of +/- 2 percent. The accompanying typing tool, powered by a predictive algorithm, categorizes supplement consumers into six distinct psychographic and behavioral segments. “We designed the PureSegmentation research to be foundational for cost-effective and actionable custom research for supplement brand markete ..read more

Sabinsa (East Windsor, NJ) was recognized by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) for providing candidate documentary and reference standards that assisted USP in reaching important milestones in 2023. USP’s Certificate of Appreciation also acknowledged Sabinsa’s outstanding contributions toward global public health though the advancement of USP standards. The Sami-Sabinsa Group, which has been working with USP for more than 20 years on projects related to reference standards, has been a consistent source for USP of reference standards for the herbal industry, including all the three acti ..read more

Dr. Anju Majeed, Sami-Sabinsa Group (India) executive chairperson, Shaheen Majeed, Sami-Sabinsa Group global managing director and chief executive officer, and the entire Sami-Sabinsa Group family mourn the sudden passing of President R&D, Nagabhushanam Kalyanam, PhD at age 74. Kalyanam was a dedicated scientific advisor to Dr. Muhammed Majeed, founder and chairman, of Sami-Sabinsa Group in the development of the company’s various high-quality ingredients until Dr. Majeed’s passing in March. Kalyanam’s obtained his MS in chemistry from the University of Madras (India) and PhD in organic ch ..read more

Tate & Lyle (U.K.) will acquire CP Kelco (Atlanta, GA) from J.M. Huber Corporation for $1.8 billion. The proposed combination will create a leading and differentiated global specialty food and beverage solutions business. Huber and Tate & Lyle have entered into an agreement by which Huber will continue to stay invested in CP Kelco through a shareholding of about 16 percent in the combined Tate & Lyle and CP Kelco holding company Tate & Lyle PLC, following completion of the transaction. In addition, Huber will hold two seats on its Board of Directors. The transaction is expected ..read more

The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York dismissed the Natural Product Association’s (NPA) lawsuit seeking a primary injunction against the New York supplements ban. The law, which went into effect in April 2024, was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in October 2023, and prevents the sale of weight loss and muscle building dietary supplements to consumers under the age of 18. NPA filed a complaint in December 2023, arguing the bill was “unconstitutional.” “At least until the statute causes one of the plaintiff’s members to 1) implement or invest in company-wide age verificatio ..read more