[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 132 (Friday, July 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37404-37405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18319]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Toxicology Program; Notice of International Workshop to 
``Evaluate Research Needs on the Use and Safety of Medicinal Herbs''

    The Workshop will be held at the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences, Conference Facility in Research Triangle 
Park, North Carolina September 23 and 24 1998 from 8:30 to 5:00 each 
day.

Background

    Herbal medicines and dietary supplements account for one of the 
fastest growing markets in U.S. pharmacies and constitute a multi-
billion dollar industry. It is estimated that as many as 1,500 
botanicals are sold in the U.S. as dietary supplements or ethnic 
traditional medicines. It is further estimated that greater than 50% of 
the U.S. population uses one or more dietary supplements including 
medicinal herbs. Medicinal herbs are not, however, subject to the same 
testing for efficacy or safety mandated for prescription or over-the-
counter drugs. Given the increasing use of some medicinal herbs and the 
paucity of toxicological data, this workshop will bring together a 
panel of national and international experts to discuss the use of the 
medicinal herbs and dietary supplements and to establish research needs 
that address public health

[[Page 37405]]

concerns. The tentative program follows:

Wednesday, September 23, 1998

Opening Comments

The NIEHS--Dr. Carl Barrett, National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences
The National Toxicology Program--Dr. George Lucier, National Institute 
of Environmental Health Sciences
Comments from NIH Office of Dietary Supplements--Dr. Bernadette 
Marriott, National Institutes of Health
DHHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion--Dr. Kenneth D. 
Fisher, Dept. of Health & Human Services
Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research--Ms. Phyllis 
Greenberger, Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research
Keynote Speaker: ``Science, Politics, Public Opinion and Herbal Dietary 
Supplements''--Dr. Norman B. Farnsworth, University of Illinois, 
Chicago
Session I: Benefits and Risks Associated with the Use of Medicinal 
Herbs--Dr. H.B. Matthews, (Session Moderator)
Commonly Used Medicinal Herbs in the United States--Mr. Mark 
Blumenthal, American Botanical Council
Ranking Possible Toxic and Carcinogenic Hazards of Natural and 
Synthetic Chemicals--Dr. Lois Gold, Lawrence Berkeley National 
Laboratory
USP Panel on the Identification and Standardization of Natural 
Products--Dr. V. Srini Srinivasan, U.S. Pharmacopoeia
Session II: International Research on the Efficacy and Safety of 
Dietary Supplements and Medicinal Herbs Worldwide--Dr. Bernadette 
Marriott (Session Moderator)
Research of Medicinal Herbs in Germany--Dr. Prof. Hildebert Wagner, 
Institute for Pharmaceutical Biologie
Ancient-Modern Concordance in Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants--Dr. Sukh Dev, 
New Friends Colony, India
Medicinal Herbs in Japan--Prof. Yutaka Sashida, Tokyo Pharmaceutical 
University
Open Discussion & Public Comment

Thursday, September 24, 1998

Session III: Research on Medicinal Herbs and Dietary Supplements in the 
U.S.--Dr. Norman Farnsworth (Session Moderator)
Methodology and Testing to Insure Product Content and Quality--Dr. Joe 
Betz & Dr. William Obermeyer, Food & Drug Administration
Research on Dietary Supplements: An Industry Perspective--Loren D. 
Israelsen, Utah Natural Products Alliance
Current Research Programs of the U.S. Dietary Supplement Industry--Dr. 
Jill Ellis, National Nutritional Foods Association
Session IV: Panel Discussion on Research Needs to Assure Safety of 
Medicinal Herbs and Dietary Supplements in the U.S.--Dr. Kenneth D. 
Fisher (Session Moderator)
Dr. Bernadette Marriott, Director, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Dr. Wayne B. Jonas, Director, NIH Office of Alternative Medicine
Dr. Linda D. Meyers, Deputy Director for Science and Nutrition DHHS, 
Office of Disease Prevention and Nutrition
Dr. Elizabeth A. Yetley, Director, Office of Special Nutrition, US FDA
Mr. Loren Israelsen, Executive Director, Utah Natural Products Alliance
Dr. Jill Ellis, Scientific Director, NNFA
Dr. Rossanne M. Philen, Chief Environmental Hazards Epidemiology 
Section, NCEH
Mr. David Schardt, Associate Nutritionist, Center for Science in the 
Public Interest
Session V: Open Discussion on Research Needs to Assure Safety of 
Medicinal Herbs and Dietary Supplements in the U.S.--Dr. H.B. Matthews 
(Session Moderator)
Workshop Adjourns

    Co-sponsors for the workshop include National Institutes of 
Health's Office of Dietary Supplements and National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences; the Department of Health and Human 
Services National Toxicology Program and Office of Disease Prevention 
and Health Promotion; the Food and Drug Administration's Office of 
Special Nutrition and the Society for the Advancement of Women's Health 
Research.
    The meeting is open to the public, limited only by space available. 
The program includes time for open discussion. In addition time will be 
allotted to persons wishing to make oral comments. Those wishing to 
speak are encouraged to pre-register. The time allotted for each 
presenter will be dependent on the number of speakers.
    To register, please submit the following: name, address, 
institutional affiliation, department, address, city, state, phone, fax 
and email address to Jaime Edge, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709 (fax: 919-541-0295 or email to 
[email protected].
    For further information on the meeting plans contact Dr. Matthews 
at (919) 541-3252; for any other information on the workshop contact 
Alma Britton (919) 541-0530; Fax (919)-541-0295 or email: 
[email protected].

    Dated: June 30, 1998.
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
[FR Doc. 98-18319 Filed 7-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M