WASHINGTON DC (November 19, 2019) – Senators Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced legislation to crack down on synthetic variations of performance-enhancing drugs illegally marketed as dietary supplements. Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, or SARMs, are synthetic drugs designed to mimic controlled substances and are often used as performance enhancers. SARMs have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use. The bipartisan SARMs Control Act of 2019 extends the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) authority to regulate anabolic steroids to include SARMs.
“By placing SARMs on the same schedule as other anabolic steroids, we’re ensuring a safer and more-transparent marketplace. Most of these products are being sold as dietary supplements when they actually work like other steroids. This should not be the case. SARMs need to go through the proper channel to guarantee safety and efficacy. Consumers deserve to know any risks associated with these substances, and the correct scheduling coupled with further DEA oversight will ensure that,” Sen Grassley said.
“The DEA needs to have the ability to control synthetic steroids that have not been tested by the FDA and are often marketed deceptively,” said Sen Whitehouse. “Our bipartisan legislation would expand the DEA’s authority to crack down on bad actors peddling synthetic steroids that pose a risk to consumers.”
SARMs are associated with serious safety concerns, including the potential to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke and life-threatening reactions like liver damage. This bipartisan bill extends the DEA’s authority to properly regulate them. Specifically, the SARMs Control Act of 2019 would:
- Amend the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to add SARMs to the list of Schedule III controlled substances, ensuring that SARMs are regulated in the same manner as anabolic steroids;
- Add a definition of the term “SARM,” including a list of specified substances and a process for the Attorney General to add substances to the definition of SARM;
- Prohibit importing, exporting, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense any SARM, or any product containing a SARM, unless it is properly labeled; and
- Add certain offenses related to SARMs to the definition of “felony drug offense” and the civil penalty provisions of the CSA.
The SARMs Control Act of 2019 has received letters of support from the US Anti-Doping Agency, the American Herbal Products Association, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, and the United Natural Products Alliance.
