(Bloomberg) -- A US senator from Connecticut is urging regulators to recall and suspend sales of popular acne treatments that earlier this year were found to contain dangerous levels of a cancer-causing chemical.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal asked the US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to “take immediate action to address these troubling findings and prevent future health issues.”
Blumenthal said in an interview he is frustrated the FDA hasn't informed consumers about the risks. “I think the tests and evidence and facts so far point to the need for a recall,” he said in an interview. “I want to hear from the FDA why they would not recall these products given the risk.”
Valisure, an independent lab based in Blumenthal’s state, alerted the FDA in March that it had found dangerous levels of benzene in some acne products, including Proactiv and Clearasil. It confirmed its findings for more than 30 different creams and cleansers in a follow-up study published this month.
“In the meantime, these products continue to be sold and used by countless Americans on a daily basis,” Blumenthal wrote in a letter to the FDA. “This is especially true for young people that may be seeking treatment for the acne they develop during puberty. Exposure to benzene could be detrimental to their health and development.”
The FDA has said it is working to verify Valisure’s claims before acting.
“You’d hope that FDA and industry would be taking action,” David Light, co-founder and president of Valisure, said in an interview.
Johnson & Johnson, Unilever Plc and Procter & Gamble Co. recalled sunscreens, antiperspirants and dry shampoos when Valisure found benzene in their products in 2021. Companies that sell benzoyl peroxide acne treatments such as CVS Health Corp., Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. have been silent about whether they’ve tested those products for benzene or if they have plans to recall them.
The FDA doesn’t have a clear benzene threshold in products. For drugs, it suggests a maximum of 2 parts per million, and only if its use is unavoidable for a product that represents a significant therapeutic advance.
Blumenthal urged the FDA to clarify its benzene guidance, something Valisure has been pushing for more than three years.
“The industry needs to clean it up entirely,” Light said. “We shouldn’t be doing just good enough for the law. We need to protect consumers.”
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