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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2008
Stop Growth Hormone Abuse Without Hurting The Little Kids!
Working in conjunction with numerous Senators, The MAGIC Foundation has secured holds on Senate Bill S.877. Currently, it is illegal to write a prescription for or buy growth hormone without a FDA approved legitimate medical need. It is not illegal to possess growth hormone. Senate bill S.877 was originally designed to classify growth hormone as a Schedule III Controlled Substance. The intent of the bill was to close loopholes in current laws by which athletes could legally possess growth hormone. However, the bill went beyond closing the loophole and attempted to list this hormone as a Schedule III drug which places it in the same category as amphetamines, LSD and others.
The MAGIC Foundation is in total agreement that those found guilty of abuse for either writing non-medically justified prescriptions or those abusing the hormone should pay with the fines and potential jail time as outlined by law. However, patients in true medical need of the hormone will suffer if this hormone is reclassified as a Schedule III drug. According to Mary Andrews, Co-Founder and CEO of The MAGIC Foundation “we remain concerned about making growth hormone a Scheduled III Controlled Substance.” Ms. Andrews goes on, “in support of our families we have worked with Senator Schumer (the originator of S.877) and numerous other Senators to develop a new bill with language that will address the abuse concerns while protecting patients with serious medical need.”
This new bill will:
- Make possession of growth hormone illegal without a legitimate FDA sanctioned medical condition
- Punish the abusers, not the children
- Provide continued treatment with no interruption or discontinuation of therapy of the children and adults whose survival and medical treatments require this hormone.
Children rely on daily injections of growth hormone to grow normally and to stay healthy. Conditions such as tumors, syndromes, other organic causes, in addition to AIDS babies, children with kidney failure and even burn victims all rely and need growth hormone to heal and be healthy. Some people require this medication throughout their entire lives. If used by otherwise healthy people, it can be very dangerous. Those individuals abusing this hormone are risking a great deal of damage to their health. Children, who require growth hormone, need this therapy to simply have a normal life, not to gain a competitive edge.
Senator Schumer’s original bill was well intended and designed to stop athletes from misusing GH as a performance-enhancing drug. The MAGIC Foundation is in agreement with Senator Schumer that abuse of growth hormone must stop but not at the expense of the children.
If Senate bill S.877 passes (or any legislature including GH as a Schedule III drug), it will punish innocent children and adults who must have this medication to live and be healthy. It will make the availability of growth hormone much more limited, potentially more expensive (the average cost reported by CBS News in their June 12th report is $10,000- $25,000 per year), increase co-pay costs to families; require additional trips to the doctor (very difficult for families who live hours from their physicians) and much more.
The MAGIC Foundation has requested the Senate to support the new bill making possession of growth hormone illegal without adding the Schedule III restrictions.
Numerous physician organizations such as the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, The Endocrine Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists as well as other parent support foundations such as the Turner Syndrome Society and others are backing The MAGIC Foundation’s initiatives against a Schedule III appointment of Growth Hormone.
CONTACT: Mary Andrews, CEO
The MAGIC Foundation
6645 W. North Ave
Oak Park
,
IL
60302
Tel: 1- 708-383-0808
For information on how many people this legislation could impact, please refer to the document titled, Report on the Potential Impact of Growth Hormone
Re- Classification Schedule of III on the
US Population
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