A coalition of businesses and organizations representing a broad range of the economy, led by the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), the Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (AFCC), the American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN), Change Chemistry and the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), have come together to express their united support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) Safer Choice program. This voluntary certification program, which labels cleaning products meeting stringent health and environmental standards, is seen by businesses as a vital tool for communicating product safety to consumers and workers. The business community’s strong support for the program is demonstrated in a coalition letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signed by more than 200 businesses and organizations.
“The Safer Choice program is an invaluable resource for companies, including many HCPA members, who are seeking to develop innovative products that meet the rising demands of consumers and workers concerned about ingredient transparency and safety,” said Steve Caldeira, HCPA’s President & CEO.
“The EPA’s Safer Choice stamp of approval sets American products apart from competitors and also helps companies succeed in global markets,” he added.
The coalition letter highlights the Safer Choice program’s numerous benefits, including its role in incentivizing product innovation; promoting safer chemistry; supporting Federal, State and retailer efforts to enhance product safety; and providing businesses with an efficient and effective way to communicate with consumers and workers. The coalition is respectfully calling on the EPA to maintain the program’s integrity and ensure its continued success.
“HCPA has a long history of partnering with the EPA on the Safer Choice program through both Republican and Democratic administrations to drive positive change in the marketplace and set new standards for what is possible on safety and sustainability without sacrificing performance,” noted Caldeira.
“These efforts have earned HCPA a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award nine times in the past 10 years. As a strong, long-time leader on supporting Safer Choice, HCPA is proud to sign our name to this letter and champion the continuation of the program.”
Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for its Spravato nasal spray as a standalone therapy for adults living with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
A ketamine-based drug, Spravato had already been approved by the FDA to be used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant by adults with TRD, which occurs when there is an inadequate response to two or more oral antidepressants during the same depressive episode. In July 2024, J&J filed an updated submission supported by data from a Phase 4 trial that evaluated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Spravato administered as a monotherapy.
According to J&J, this treatment is the first and only monotherapy for adults living with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have had an inadequate response to at least two oral antidepressants.
“Spravato is now available as a standalone treatment, meaning patients may experience improvements in depressive symptoms as early as 24 hours and at 28 days—without the need for daily oral antidepressants,” said Bill Martin, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Neuroscience, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.
This approval, which was granted following FDA Priority Review, is supported by positive results from a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study in which Spravato alone showed a rapid and superior improvement in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score vs. placebo. Spravato works by targeting glutamate, which is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. (The mechanism by which esketamine exerts its antidepressant effect is unknown, according to J&J.)
TIAN
Diversified CPC International, Channahon, IL—producer and distributor of aerosol propellants, refrigerants and specialty gas products—has promoted Erik Tian to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Tian will provide executive guidance to the company’s accounting, finance and information technology teams with a focus on driving transformational continuous improvement throughout the organization.
Tian joined Diversified CPC in 2023 as VP of Finance and has more than 18 years of finance and accounting experience. Previously, he spent nine years as the Director of Finance & Accounting for Wynright Daifuku, a provider of material handling systems. His career also entails positions with other manufacturers including Nanosphere, a medical device company, and Caterpillar.
“Since joining our company, Erik has demonstrated a number of invaluable insights and new ideas, viewing our business through a lens that is both analytical and data-driven,” said David Burks, President & CEO of Diversified CPC.
“His ability to connect the numbers with a bigger vision is instrumental to our continued growth and success.”
Tian earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, from Purdue University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently launched the next Consumer and Commercial Products Survey, which aims to gather data to inform future standards. While previous surveys have focused on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), this survey is focused on Ozone Forming Potential (OFP). CARB has been addressing their regulatory definition of VOCs through mass-based VOC standards, which excludes exempt compounds and low vapor pressure (LVP) VOCs. Industry relies on those exempt VOCs and LVP-VOCs for many product categories, which has resulted in questions around the feasibility of future mass-based VOC standards.
CARB must continue addressing the state’s nonattainment status with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, thus they are looking to shift from the mass-based VOC approach for consumer products to photochemical reactivity through Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR).
In this webinar, Nicholas Georges, Senior VP, Scientific & International Affairs, Household & Consumer Products Association (HCPA), and Doug Raymond, industry consultant, will educate attendees about this regulatory change and how to determine the MIR of the ingredients used to formulate products.
Complimentary for members & nonmembers
For those unable to attend, the webinar recording and slides will be sent via email to registered participants.