Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are collaborating on legislation to lower market barriers for new sunscreens, in an effort to bring the United States in line with other countries that have seen advancements in sun protection.
The proposed legislation, introduced separately in the House and Senate, is now being considered as an amendment to a Senate bill that would reauthorize the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program, also known as OMUFA. It would expand on the The Food and Drug Administration’s authority from a 2020 law directing the agency to consider historical data on the safety of sunscreen active ingredients that have previously been accepted for marketing.
It would also direct the FDA to account for the role that products deemed SPF 15 or higher have in preventing skin cancer, and would require the agency to report its progress in allowing for nonclinical alternatives to animal testing for new sunscreen ingredients.
