19 May Alternatives to HCG
In vitro fertilization, IVF macro concept
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or HCG, has been used for decades as part of an intensive diet plan called the HCG Diet. Patients were able to apply HCG creams, use HCG drops under the tongue, or inject HCG as part of the HCG diet. In addition to a very low calorie diet, HCG has helped patients lose thousands of pounds of collective weight. The FDA recently moved to re-categorize HCG as a biologic product, as opposed to a drug product. This slight change in terminology unfortunately has wide reaching ramifications for patients, as a special Biologics License is now required to handle HCG powder (the bulk HCG powder that compounding pharmacies use to make patient specific HCG products). This license requirement places restrictions on compounding pharmacies, and prohibits them from accessing and compounding with HCG powder. This change in nomenclature takes effect on March 23, 2020. After this date, all compounding of HCG products from all compounding pharmacies must cease.
“Why not just get the biologics license?” you may be asking. We have explored that. Unfortunately, the FDA has not provided a clear way forward for any compounding pharmacy to get this special license. As usual, the patients are stuck in the middle of a bureaucratic and legislative impasse. This re-categorization of HCG will be found to hurt not only patient’s access to compounded HCG medications, but it will impact public health as well.
At Pharmacy Solutions, we have been working diligently to devise and test new weight loss compounded products that will fill the void left in the marketplace by the departure of compounded HCG. These products are in their final phase of development, and will roll out in Spring 2020. Our goal is to provide safe and effective weight loss therapies that will allow patients to maintain weight loss for life.
