Metabolife Inquiry Renews Focus on Safety
The federal government’s criminal investigation into Metabolife International has once again cast a spotlight on makers of ephedra dietary supplements--an unregulated, multibillion-dollar industry that has generally prospered despite criticisms and is looking to capitalize on heightened concerns about obesity.
The Justice Department said Thursday that it was investigating whether the San Diego-based company lied about the safety of ephedra, an herbal stimulant that speeds the heart and suppresses appetite.
Although Metabolife is the leading producer of ephedra supplements--which have been linked to dozens of deaths in recent years--a number of companies have recently introduced copycat versions or spruced-up products to compete with Metabolife’s top seller, Metabolife 356.
“The need to lose weight for many of us has never been more apparent,” proclaims Cytodyne Technologies on its Web site promoting the company’s Xenadrine supplements. “In fact, according to a recently published report by the International Obesity Task Force, approximately 55% of the American population is now overweight or obese.”
Cytodyne, based in Manasquan, N.J., is among about a dozen major makers of dietary supplements with ephedra. Ephedra makers overall enjoyed booming sales--from $500 million in 1995 to about $3 billion by the end of the decade, according to consultant reports. Privately held Metabolife said in 1999 that its revenue exceeded $1 billion.
More recently, however, the pace of ephedra sales appears to have slowed with the declining economy and negative publicity, including the move by some sports organizations such as the National Football League to ban the substance, according to industry analysts and executives.
“We’re less in ephedra than a few years ago,” said Bill Rizzardi, a spokesman for Twin Laboratories, a nutritional supplement company in Hauppauge, N.Y., that makes an ephedra capsule called Metabolift.
Although Twin Laboratories has struggled, most major makers of ephedra have continued to enjoy brisk sales, said Wes Siegner, an attorney for the Ephedra Education Council, a Washington-based organization made up of several major ephedra makers and retailers. Siegner said he was unaware of any major retailer that has pulled ephedra off its shelves.
General Nutrition Cos., a specialty retailer that carries ephedra products and is a member of the Ephedra Education Council, would not comment about the investigation into Metabolife but issued a statement saying it believes that ephedra-containing products are safe when used appropriately.
But the Justice Department’s criminal probe into Metabolife has raised hopes among some longtime critics who have urged the government to ban ephedra.
Over the years, federal officials have been frustrated by the lack of cooperation from Metabolife and others in the industry to better assess the health effects of ephedra supplements.
But Thursday, when the Justice Department announced its probe of Metabolife, the company agreed to turn over about 13,000 health complaints it has received from consumers of Metabolife 356. Metabolife has denied making false statements.
Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of the Public Citizens Health Research Group in Washington, this week renewed calls for banning ephedra. Wolfe lamented the fact that businesses were continuing to market ephedra.
“A responsible company shouldn’t sell products like this,” he said.
