What does the label (on herbal medicine bottles) “No approved therapeutic claim” mean?
The No therapeutic claim statement simply means that the company’s manufacturer makes no specific claim in it’s advertising of any health benefit from using the product. Over the counter drugs, including herbals require the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) approve advertising of any claimed health benefits. (The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) performs this role for prescription drugs.) It does not necessarily mean the product is ineffective. In most cases, the manufacturer does not want to, or cannot meet, the stringent “proof” requirements to back up it’s desired advertising claim so they take the easy way out and make no claims at all. If you want more details about the process, you can read the document below. In order for a company to bring a new drug to the market, they must submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA for approval to market it for a specific indication or medical use. The first hurdle for approval is the legal requirement for “substantial” evidence of efficacy
