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Workers’ Rights

The reality for workers

America’s working families are under attack, with a stagnant minimum wage, skyrocketing healthcare costs, and woefully inadequate parental leave policies. And the child labor problem persists: an estimated 152 million young children are trapped in child labor around the world, many in full-time and hazardous jobs.

How we help

NCL is a long-time ally to labor, especially on issues where consumer and worker interests intersect. We are fighting to reduce exploitative child labor in the United States and abroad by raising awareness, advocating before agencies and Congress, and providing a forum for other nongovernmental organizations through our Child Labor Coalition (CLC).

Featured Content

NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

January 6, 2023
The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) initiative to ban non-compete clauses.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-01-06 00:46:192023-01-07 00:47:29NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

Dispatches from Durban: May 15-20, 2022

May 31, 2022
Reflections on the 5th Global Conference on the elimination…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/reidM.jpg 1024 984 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2022-05-31 13:33:002022-05-31 13:33:00Dispatches from Durban: May 15-20, 2022

During ‘Striketober,’ standing up for a USPS that benefits consumers and workers

October 21, 2021
In what’s being called “Striketober,” 10,000 John Deere employees, 14,000 Kellogg’s workers, and 24,000 Kaiser Permanente staff have gone on strike.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Iscil-Headshot-scaled.jpg 2560 2560 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-10-21 20:33:442021-11-15 19:41:42During ‘Striketober,’ standing up for a USPS that benefits consumers and workers

National Consumers League applauds Biden Administration’s new heat stress initiative

September 24, 2021
NCL celebrates the White House announcement on September 20 of a new multi-agency effort to protect American workers from heat-related illnesses.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-09-24 10:17:102021-09-27 02:36:19National Consumers League applauds Biden Administration’s new heat stress initiative

NCL applauds U.S. Department of Labor’s withdrawal of the Trump Administration’s ‘Independent Contractor Rule’

May 6, 2021
The Trump Administration’s 'Independent Contractor Rule' would have been bad for American workers, especially women and those who toil in low-wage industries.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-05-06 14:23:132021-05-06 15:58:03NCL applauds U.S. Department of Labor’s withdrawal of the Trump Administration’s ‘Independent Contractor Rule’

National consumer organization throwing support behind three major labor rights bills in Congress

April 28, 2021
The National Consumers League (NCL) is backing three important federal bills aiming to even the playing field between workers and employers.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2021-04-28 17:44:352021-05-06 14:31:50National consumer organization throwing support behind three major labor rights bills in Congress

Child labor’s public perception problem

December 11, 2020
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/reidM.jpg 1024 984 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-12-11 16:02:242020-12-11 21:12:36Child labor’s public perception problem

What’s the real cost of a banana?

September 24, 2020
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-09-24 12:54:572021-04-22 08:26:36What’s the real cost of a banana?

It’s time for U.S. tobacco companies to protect all child tobacco workers

July 20, 2020
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the National…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-07-20 07:35:332020-10-23 11:48:03It’s time for U.S. tobacco companies to protect all child tobacco workers

Keeping meatpacking workers safe in the age of COVID-19: A view from the front lines

June 10, 2020
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-06-10 14:10:232020-10-23 11:48:03Keeping meatpacking workers safe in the age of COVID-19: A view from the front lines

Observing World Food Safety Day: Food safety, foodborne illnesses, and the pandemic.

June 4, 2020
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-06-04 14:24:002020-10-23 11:48:03Observing World Food Safety Day: Food safety, foodborne illnesses, and the pandemic.

Grocery stores and safety measures needed to protect workers and customers during COVID-19

May 13, 2020
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-05-13 17:30:272020-10-23 11:53:30Grocery stores and safety measures needed to protect workers and customers during COVID-19

Minimum wage gets a boost in state initiatives

December 7, 2018
Did you know that Arkansas will soon have the highest…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sally2017_92px.jpg 968 968 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2018-12-07 14:55:252020-10-23 11:48:03Minimum wage gets a boost in state initiatives

NCL’s experiences with Initiative 77, DC’s repealed One Fair Wage attempt

October 18, 2018
Earlier this month, DC City council voted to repeal Initiative…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sally2017_92px.jpg 968 968 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2018-10-18 20:15:002020-10-23 11:48:03NCL’s experiences with Initiative 77, DC’s repealed One Fair Wage attempt

National Consumers League disappointed by DC City Council’s overturning of popular vote

October 3, 2018
October 4, 2018 Media contact: National Consumers…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2018-10-03 16:37:002020-12-14 21:46:02National Consumers League disappointed by DC City Council’s overturning of popular vote

NCL: Protect children in tobacco fields – National Consumers League

October 3, 2014
As a nation, we have turned our backs on some of America’s…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/childtobacco.jpg 276 276 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2014-10-03 15:00:002020-10-23 11:48:03NCL: Protect children in tobacco fields – National Consumers League

Cash-register-tape ads: one more thing for consumers to worry about – National Consumers League

June 26, 2014
This blog was submitted by guest blogger Jane Daugherty who…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/jane.jpg 92 92 Ben Klein https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Ben Klein2014-06-26 14:32:002020-10-23 11:48:03Cash-register-tape ads: one more thing for consumers to worry about – National Consumers League
PreviousNext

NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

January 6, 2023
The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) initiative to ban non-compete clauses.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-01-06 00:46:192023-01-07 00:47:29NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

Dispatches from Durban: May 15-20, 2022

May 31, 2022
Reflections on the 5th Global Conference on the elimination…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/reidM.jpg 1024 984 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2022-05-31 13:33:002022-05-31 13:33:00Dispatches from Durban: May 15-20, 2022

During ‘Striketober,’ standing up for a USPS that benefits consumers and workers

October 21, 2021
In what’s being called “Striketober,” 10,000 John Deere employees, 14,000 Kellogg’s workers, and 24,000 Kaiser Permanente staff have gone on strike.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Iscil-Headshot-scaled.jpg 2560 2560 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-10-21 20:33:442021-11-15 19:41:42During ‘Striketober,’ standing up for a USPS that benefits consumers and workers

National Consumers League applauds Biden Administration’s new heat stress initiative

September 24, 2021
NCL celebrates the White House announcement on September 20 of a new multi-agency effort to protect American workers from heat-related illnesses.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-09-24 10:17:102021-09-27 02:36:19National Consumers League applauds Biden Administration’s new heat stress initiative

NCL applauds U.S. Department of Labor’s withdrawal of the Trump Administration’s ‘Independent Contractor Rule’

May 6, 2021
The Trump Administration’s 'Independent Contractor Rule' would have been bad for American workers, especially women and those who toil in low-wage industries.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Melody Merin https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Melody Merin2021-05-06 14:23:132021-05-06 15:58:03NCL applauds U.S. Department of Labor’s withdrawal of the Trump Administration’s ‘Independent Contractor Rule’

National consumer organization throwing support behind three major labor rights bills in Congress

April 28, 2021
The National Consumers League (NCL) is backing three important federal bills aiming to even the playing field between workers and employers.
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2021-04-28 17:44:352021-05-06 14:31:50National consumer organization throwing support behind three major labor rights bills in Congress

Child labor’s public perception problem

December 11, 2020
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/reidM.jpg 1024 984 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-12-11 16:02:242020-12-11 21:12:36Child labor’s public perception problem

What’s the real cost of a banana?

September 24, 2020
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-09-24 12:54:572021-04-22 08:26:36What’s the real cost of a banana?

It’s time for U.S. tobacco companies to protect all child tobacco workers

July 20, 2020
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the National…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-07-20 07:35:332020-10-23 11:48:03It’s time for U.S. tobacco companies to protect all child tobacco workers

Keeping meatpacking workers safe in the age of COVID-19: A view from the front lines

June 10, 2020
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NailahJ_bio.png 105 105 NCL staff https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png NCL staff2020-06-10 14:10:232020-10-23 11:48:03Keeping meatpacking workers safe in the age of COVID-19: A view from the front lines
Page 1 of 212

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NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

January 6, 2023/in Featured Home - Workers Rights, Press release, Workers' Rights consumer, FTC, press release Press Releases /by Katie Brown

The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) initiative to ban non-compete clauses.

Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-01-06 00:46:192023-01-07 00:47:29NCL supports FTC efforts to ban non-compete clauses

Dispatches from Durban: May 15-20, 2022

May 31, 2022/in Blog, Child labor, Featured Home - Workers Rights, Labor Blog Post, fair wages, Reid Maki Blog Post /by Katie Brown

Reflections on the 5th Global Conference on the elimination of child labour in Durban, South Africa: May 15-20, 2022 Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the […]

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Featured Advocacy Letters

Nation’s leading advocacy groups express their concern over partnership between Major League Baseball and CBD maker

November 9, 2022/in Press release consumer protection Advocacy Letters, Press Releases /by Katie Brown

The National Consumers League, along with CADCA – a national nonprofit organization committed to creating safe, healthy, and drug-free communities globally – submitted today a joint letter to the commissioners of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) expressing concern over the recently announced partnership between MLB and cannabidol (CBD) maker Charlotte’s Web.

Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2022-11-09 14:57:032022-11-09 15:53:30Nation’s leading advocacy groups express their concern over partnership between Major League Baseball and CBD maker

Featured Press Releases

New research reiterates the need for consumer caution, federal protection related to marijuana companies misleading claims

March 13, 2023/in CBD, Consumer Education, Consumer Protection, Health, Press release cannabis, health Press Releases /by Katie Brown

Data Science Solutions, LLC, in partnership with NCL, today released new research that dives into false or misleading medical claims made by several leading marijuana companies on their social media platforms.

Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-03-13 14:23:562023-03-13 14:26:01New research reiterates the need for consumer caution, federal protection related to marijuana companies misleading claims

National Consumers League statement on Gigi Sohn’s FCC nomination withdrawal

March 7, 2023/in Consumer Protection, Press release consumer protection, FCC, Sally Greenberg, Statements Press Releases /by Katie Brown

We are disappointed that Gigi Sohn’s nomination to the Federal Communications Commission was derailed by entrenched industry players and their allies in Congress.

Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-03-07 22:21:032023-03-07 22:21:03National Consumers League statement on Gigi Sohn’s FCC nomination withdrawal

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Top Ten Scams Report: Consumers reported massive uptick in crypto-linked fraud losses in 2022

February 6, 2023/in Featured Home - Fraud Prevention, Fraud policy, Fraud Prevention, Press release, Scams consumer, consumer protection, fraud, Fraud Policy, Fraud.org, John Breyault, press release, scam, scams Press Releases /by Katie Brown

Reports of scams tied to cryptocurrencies drove a significant increase in median losses in 2022, according to the National Consumers League’s annual Top Ten Scams report. The report, published annually, analyzed more than 3,500 consumer fraud complaints filed with NCL’s Fraud.org campaign last year. 

Read more
https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png 0 0 Katie Brown https://nclnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NCL-logo.png Katie Brown2023-02-06 17:54:202023-02-06 18:14:16Top Ten Scams Report: Consumers reported massive uptick in crypto-linked fraud losses in 2022
  • Our Impact

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    Read about NCL’s impact

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PBPA Commends HHS Funding to Support Maternal and Infant Health

The Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (PBPA), a coalition of maternal and women’s health advocates dedicated to improving preterm birth outcomes in the United States and addressing its disproportionate impact on women of color, applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for awarding nearly $350 million to states across the country to improve support for safe pregnancies and healthy babies.

“For far too long, U.S. maternal health care has lagged behind that of other developed countries, particularly for women of color,” noted Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “This additional funding will enable local health departments and nonprofits to better address the health care needs of the most vulnerable mothers and their babies.”

The funding, awarded by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will support home visiting services, increase access to doulas, address infant mortality and maternal illness, and improve data reporting on maternal mortality.

“Maternal health care in the U.S. has consistently failed women of color,” Greenberg continued.  “We applaud HHS for this additional funding that will help to improve the maternal health for all mothers and babies, especially women of color and those most at-risk.”

The funding announcement follows the release of a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights which found that Native American women are more than two times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women in the U.S. This disparity was further exacerbated for Black women in the U.S., who are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

“In addition to expanding programs to support maternal health, we must increase representation from racially and ethnically diverse groups in research and clinical trials, particularly those studying treatment options to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality,” said Greenberg.  “The need for the additional HHS funding and the report from the Commission on Civil Rights clearly illustrate how critical representative research and real world evidence are to ensuring all mothers and their babies have the same opportunity for the best possible health outcomes.”

Diverse research for a diverse America: The value of equitable, real-world research

August 12, 2021/in Blog, Health, Prevention Blog Post

By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director

While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to hardship for all Americans, it is clear that people of color have been disproportionately burdened. Across the health care continuum, addressing this disparity has become part of the broader conversation about the history of systemic racism and the underlying social determinants of health that negatively affect the mental, physical, and economic health of individuals and entire communities.

The pandemic has underscored persistent health disparities, and there is growing recognition that representation in research and clinical trials can have a profound impact on health outcomes. A lack of representation from racially and ethnically diverse groups in research and clinical trials have typically led to gaps in data, missing the opportunity to assess the full impact of various treatments and drugs across a range of populations. The collection and use of real-world research and data to inform the potential use, risks, and benefits of medical products and treatments can ultimately lead to better health outcomes, particularly for those who have been underrepresented in the past.

Existing efforts to improve inclusion

Efforts to expand diversity and representation in medical research are underway in Congress. Policymakers are encouraging the incorporation of Real World Evidence (RWE) in drug development through the recent Cures 2.0 draft legislation released by Reps. Diana Degette (D-CO-1) and Fred Upton (D-MI-6). While the status quo limits us from effectively reaching underserved populations, the proposed legislation would allow studies that include RWE for some drugs after they have been approved. At the heart of this issue is a growing appreciation that the same therapy can affect different populations in different ways, which is why Cures 2.0 supports collecting data that more accurately reflects the unique experiences and needs of patients across diverse populations.

Recognizing the potential for RWE in maternal health

The lack of representative research in the field of maternal health is undeniable, and its implications are staggering. The dismal state of maternal care in the United States reflects how our health care system has failed women of color, including by not adequately studying treatment options to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. The need for RWE is clear when you consider the persistent disparities in health outcomes that plague minority communities.

Preterm birth and its disproportionate impact on women of color is a stark illustration of the need to make progress on representative research in maternal health. Preterm birth is the second-largest contributor to infant death in America today. Despite the tremendous physical, emotional, and financial toll that preterm birth continues to take on our country — disproportionately so on women and families of color — not enough therapeutic tools currently exist to prevent it.

Today, “17P,” the only FDA-approved treatment to help reduce the likelihood of spontaneous, recurrent preterm birth in the United States is at-risk of being withdrawn from the market in all its forms, including the branded product and five generic versions. Unfortunately there is conflicting evidence from two different clinical trials, one representative of a diverse U.S. population and another studied in a largely white population in Europe. It’s not a straightforward comparison. If 17P is withdrawn, the women most affected by preterm birth, predominantly women of color, would be left without an FDA-approved treatment option.

The FDA is considering the path forward, including additional data collection through leveraging RWE from past patient use. The success of the first (approval) trial for 17P in the impacted communities signals the importance of RWE. Continued access to 17P is, at its core, a matter of health equity. Black women must not yet again be left vulnerable to a system that historically has overlooked them.

PRETERM BIRTH PREVENTION ALLIANCE APPLAUDS FDA’S GRANTING OF HEARING FOR THE ONLY FDA-APPROVED THERAPIES TO REDUCE RECURRENT PRETERM BIRTH

WASHINGTON, DC, August 26, 2021 –

Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance a coalition of maternal and women’s health advocates dedicated to improving preterm birth outcomes in the United States and addressing its disproportionate impact on women of color, commends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for granting a public hearing to discuss 17P, the only FDA-approved class of branded and generic treatments to reduce preterm birth in indicated patients.

We appreciate the FDA’s willingness to hear directly from individuals facing prematurity and the providers who treat them about their experiences with 17P,” said National Consumer League’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “It is an important step towards better understanding variations in efficacy across diverse populations and ensuring all women have an equal chance at the best possible outcomes.”

Last week, the FDA agreed to grant Covis Pharma, the manufacturer of the branded 17P product Makena its request for a public hearing to discuss 17P. Hydroxyprogesterone caproate—or “17P”—has been approved since 2011 and is the only FDA-approved class of treatments to help prevent spontaneous, recurrent preterm birth in the United States. In 2020, the FDA proposed withdrawing 17P in all its forms, including the branded product and its five generic versions, based on conflicting efficacy data from two studies composed of vastly different populations, one predominantly inclusive of women in the U.S. most vulnerable to preterm birth and one not.

“Mothers and birthing people deserve access to the best possible treatments to prevent preterm birth. We cannot achieve birth equity if we study pregnant women as a monolith,” said Blythe Thomas, Initiative Director of 1,000 Days. “It is only by systematically researching the real-world, post-market impact of 17P on individuals from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, while maintaining access for all affected, that we can reduce disparities in maternal and infant health.”

While the hearing date has not yet been set, the Alliance looks forward to sharing the perspectives of affected individuals and their physicians with the agency once the hearing is scheduled and will continue to advocate for at-risk moms and babies of all races and ethnicities.

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ABOUT THE PRETERM BIRTH PREVENTION ALLIANCE

The Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (PBPA) is a coalition of maternal and women’s health advocates who share a common concern about the state of preterm birth in the United States and the proposed market withdrawal of 17P, the only FDA-approved class of treatments to help prevent spontaneous, recurrent preterm birth. Formed in 2021 by the National Consumers League, the 15 partners in the PBPA seek to improve preterm birth outcomes in the United States by maintaining access to safe, FDA-approved treatment options and advocating for more diverse medical research that adequately represents the experiences of women and newborns of color. Women of color need a seat at the table. To learn more, visit www.pretermbirthalliance.org

LEADING PATIENT ADVOCATES LAUNCH PRETERM BIRTH PREVENTION ALLIANCE TO PROTECT CRITICAL ACCESS TO THE SOLE FDA-APPROVED CLASS OF THERAPIES TO REDUCE RECURRENT PRETERM BIRTH

WASHINGTON, DC, April 20, 2021 – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL), along with a coalition of patient advocacy organizations dedicated to advancing the health of mothers and infants, announced the launch of the >Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance.

Members of the Alliance are joining forces in an effort to preserve patient access to the only Food & Drug Administration-approved class of treatments for pregnant women who have previously had an unexpected, or spontaneous, preterm birth. Together, Alliance members seek to ensure that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) hears concerns from the full range of stakeholders about the potential risks and impact of withdrawal for at-risk pregnant women and their providers.

For the fifth year in a row, the U.S. preterm birth rate has increased (to 10.2 percent of births), and preterm birth and its complications were the second largest contributor to infant death across the country. Preterm birth also represents a significant racial health disparity, with Black women in America experiencing premature delivery at a rate 50 percent higher than other racial groups throughout the country.

However, in 2020, the FDA >proposed withdrawing hydroxyprogesterone caproate, commonly called “17P” or “17-OHPC”, the only FDA-approved class of branded and generic treatments to help prevent the risk of preterm birth in women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth. The FDA is currently determining whether to hold a hearing on the status of 17P, based on conflicting efficacy data from two studies composed of vastly different patient populations, one inclusive of women in the U.S. most vulnerable to preterm birth and one not.

“We’re fighting for a more inclusive healthcare system that gives everyone an equal chance to have the best outcomes possible,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League. “We don’t believe that removing 17P from the market without gaining a better understanding of who could benefit the most from its use is in the best interests of patients, nor their healthcare providers, particularly as there are no other approved treatment options available.”

To date, 14 organizations have joined NCL to advocate for the health interests of at-risk pregnant women and infants, including: 1,000 Days; 2020 Mom; American Association of Birth Centers; Black Mamas Matter Alliance; Black Women’s Health Imperative; Expecting Health; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Montana; HealthyWomen; Miracle Babies; National Birth Equity Collaborative; National Black Midwives Alliance; National Partnership for Women & Families; Sidelines High-Risk National Support Network; and SisterReach.

“As a trained obstetrician and gynecologist, I know firsthand the impact of preterm birth on Black women and birthing people. I also know that racism – not race – is the driving factor leading the disproportionate impact of preterm birth on Black women and birthing people thereby exacerbating systemic inequities in maternal and infant health. To achieve birth equity, which is the assurance of the conditions of optimal births for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequities in a sustained effort, we must work to protect and uphold a standard of care for spontaneous, recurrent preterm births and ensure it remains accessible and affordable for all who stand in need,” added Dr. Joia Crear Perry, founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative.

The Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance is calling for the FDA to grant a public hearing to fully consider all of the data, additional research methods, and stakeholder perspectives before deciding whether to withdraw approval of this critical class of therapies. The health of America’s moms and babies warrants the utmost care and consideration.

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ABOUT THE PRETERM BIRTH PREVENTION ALLIANCE

The Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance is a coalition of maternal and women’s health advocates who share a common concern about the state of preterm birth in the United States and the proposed market withdrawal of 17P, the only FDA-approved class of treatments to help prevent spontaneous, recurrent preterm birth. Formed in 2021 by the National Consumers League, we seek to improve preterm birth outcomes in the United States by maintaining access to safe, FDA-approved treatment options and advocating for more diverse medical research that adequately represents the experiences of women and newborns of color. Women of color need a seat at the table. To learn more, visit www.pretermbirthalliance.org.

Initial support for the Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance is provided by Covis Pharma.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org

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