Foster, Casten Lead Letter to FDA on Ethylene Oxide Alternatives
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) led a letter to the Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inquiring about the actions the FDA has taken, or plans to take, to examine and evaluate alternatives to ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization methods in the United States. The letter was signed by all 13 Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Approximately 50 percent of sterilized medical devices on the market today use EtO which has recently been classified as a known carcinogen," the letter read. "We urge the FDA to not only ensure contingency plans are in place to prevent disruption to the medical supply chain that would endanger patient safety, but to immediately examine whether there are safer, non-carcinogenic sterilization methods that can be used in the place of EtO."
The letter is available here.
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