The Natural Products Association (NPA) in comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called for strong intellectual property protection for nutritional supplements, citing its importance to consumer safety and innovation. NPA was the only trade association representing the natural products and nutritional supplement industry to submit comments regarding a patent eligibility jurisprudence study requested by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maize Hirono (D-HI), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE).

“Intellectual property is a critical issue for NPA. Our members are very reliant on IP protection and invest millions of dollars in new products each year with the expectation that their property rights will be protected, especially from overseas competitors,” said Dr. Daniel Fabricant, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association.

“We are uniquely positioned as the only trade association in our industry focused on engaging Capitol Hill and FDA on relevant IP issues. More protections for these investments will lead to more innovation and better consumer safety. NPA will continue lead on this issue and work with Congress and the Administration on policies that respect the property rights of our members.”

For more information, visit www.npanational.org.