FDA punts on ADT … for now

In its first formal industry-wide communication about the thyroid issue since 2025, the FDA wrote to resellers this week that, while it still doesn’t have draft guidance for manufacturers, importers, and distributors of animal-derived thyroid (ADT) products, it’s working on that. In the meantime, “FDA will continue applying its general, risk-based enforcement approach to unapproved ADT products, giving enforcement priority to products that pose the highest risk to public health.”

As a side note, APC received a response to our February 4, 2026, FDA citizen petition where we asked for clarification on its enforcement approach on this very issue. The short-and-sweet answer we just received jibes with that ADT letter: “FDA has been unable to reach a decision on your petition because certain requests raise complex issues requiring extensive review and analysis by agency officials.”

So … that means the anticipated August 6 deadline for the phase out of desiccated thyroid extract is in fact not a deadline after all (“complex issues” and all). We’ll have to wait and see what the FDA’s next move is, and obviously keep you in the loop.