Congress has tried twice in the past decade to make it easier to bring new sunscreens to the U.S. market amid rising concerns over skin cancer, but those changes to prod quicker FDA action haven’t worked as planned.
In 2014, Congress approved a law that was supposed to get sunscreen ingredients in use abroad on a fast track for FDA approval, and four years ago lawmakers made it easier for the agency to endorse products doctors say protect people from the most common form of cancer in the U.S., which is largely preventable.
Yet no new sunscreens have come to the U.S. market since 1999.
“I really feel strongly that the FDA red tape has kept Americans from accessing new and innovative sunscreens that can prevent the development of skin cancer and ultimately save lives,” said Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.), a dermatologist and skin cancer survivor.
