In Brief: Tom's of Maine
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Tom's of Maine: Petitions FDA on Sept. 11 to stay effective date of the animal caries testing requirement in anticaries monograph with regard to its Tom's Natural fluoride toothpaste until the agency comes to a decision on whether the firm can substitute a non-animal test for the required animal test. Tom's products highlight lack of animal testing. Under the anticaries monograph, FDA can accept alternative testing methods if they are shown to provide equivalent accuracy to the specified animal test. In August, Tom's argued in a letter to the agency that its proposed test provides "ample" evidence to prove fluoride bioavailability ("The Rose Sheet" Sept. 23, p. 9)...