Ashland joins PASS Coalition in praising bipartisan action by U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension on latest sunscreen technology

September 17, 2014

COVINGTON, Ky. - Ashland Inc. ASH today joined the Public Access to SunScreens (PASS) Coalition in applauding the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) for bipartisan support of the Sunscreen Innovation Act (S. 2141).

The bill supported by the committee Wednesday includes a transparent review process within a predictable timeline for all sunscreen applicants and the opportunity for Congressional oversight to ensure the process is working as designed. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar measure in July.

"We appreciate the committee's broad-based support in establishing a transparent and predictable review process and ensuring that Americans will have access to the latest safe and effective sunscreens," said John Riley, director of government relations for Ashland, which is a founding member of the PASS Coalition.

New sunscreen filters, including Ashland's Escalol^TM S product, have been approved and on the market being used safely and effectively in countries around the world for over a dozen years. The Sunscreen Innovation Act (SIA) will reform the process to make it transparent and timely with deadlines for decisions on products written into the statute.


The last over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen ingredient to be approved by FDA was in the 1990s. Since 2002, eight new sunscreen applications have been filed and are still awaiting review 12 years later. New sunscreen technologies currently awaiting approval in the U.S. have been widely available in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, in some cases for more than 15 years.

The bipartisan Sunscreen Innovation Act (H.R. 4250/S. 2141) was introduced by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) in the Senate and Reps. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.) in the House.

"We thank them for their leadership on this important health issue," Riley said.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the U.S. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer - including melanoma - than the combined incidence of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.  On average, one person dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest of the skin cancers because of its ability to move quickly and spread to distant organs in the body, and melanoma rates are rising dramatically across demographics. Over the past 40 years, melanoma rates have increased 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men.

About Ashland
Ashland Inc. ASH is a global leader in providing specialty chemical solutions to customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Through our three commercial units - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Performance Materials and Valvoline - we use good chemistry to make great things happen for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com to learn more.

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