On Thursday, April 23, the Food and Drug Administration warned five companies to stop selling dietary supplements that contain an unapproved stimulant called beta-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), Forbes reported.
The warning letters were sent to Human Evolution Supplements, Train Naked Labs, Better Body Sports, Tribravus Enterprises and Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, according to The New York Times. The products that are affected include Phoenix Extreme, Core Burner, Lipodrene, Sudden Impact and Fastin-XR.
The World Anti-Doping Agency, a Swiss private law foundation, has classified BMPEA as a doping agent. The amphetamine-like substance BMPEA has been demonstrated to increase heart rate and blood pressure in animals. An investigation conducted by FDA found that nine out of 21 supplements that contain Acacia rigidula also contained untested stimulant BMPEA despite the fact the plant itself does not contain the substance. These findings were published in 2013.
Moreover, a study which was published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis showed that products that contain BMPEA were still available on the market more than 12 months after the agency published its discoveries.
The FDA said in its letter that BMPEA does not fulfill the definition of a dietary ingredient and Acacia rigidula does not contain BMPEA. Dr. Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School said that he was happy the agency had confirmed that BMPEA stimulant does not belong in dietary supplements.
Jennifer Corbett Dooren, a spokeswoman for the FDA, said that the agency determines its enforcement actions based on the level of safety concern and available resources. She further said that the FDA experiences the challenge of having insufficient resources to monitor the marketplace for dangerous dietary supplements.