NPA appoints former FDA official as its new senior VP for scientific affairs

Image courtesy of NPA

The Natural Products Association (NPA; Washington, D.C.) announced that it has hired Sibyl Swift, PhD, as its new senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs. Swift is a former FDA official who has held a number of senior positions at the agency, most recently, associate director for research and strategy at the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs. The hiring of Swift by NPA comes as the association expands its international presence as a Codex Alimentarius NGO observer and accelerates advocacy efforts on public policy priorities that include CBD regulation, New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) enforcement, and permitting health savings account holders to use tax-deferred funds for supplement purchases.

“We are very excited that Dr. Swift is a part of NPA as we enter this important phase of industry regulation and expansion, especially as it relates to new and promising products like CBD,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of NPA, in a press release. “Dr. Swift is an exceptional example of NPA’s leadership and focus on effectively engaging in legislative and regulatory environments to support the industry and ensure the best, safest and most innovative natural products are accessible to people in America and around the world. No other organization in the space has this depth and breadth of understanding of how the modern-day FDA functions.”

Swift will be responsible for the development and implementation of NPA’s current educational, regulatory, and compliance programs and efforts such as SSCI, and the NPA Natural Standard. Swift will also assist members with claim reviews and substantiation, as well as NDI notification policy.

“I’m excited to be joining NPA at this promising phase for this important and growing industry,” said Swift in a press release. “As Americans and their elected officials look for ‘health-first’ strategies that promote wellness over treatment and reduce costs, I’m confident that natural products will play a larger role. I can’t wait to get to work.”