FDA Official Joins Herbalife

 LOS ANGELES, Jan 19, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) today announced that Vasilios H. Frankos, M.S., Ph.D., will retire from the FDA in March and join the company as senior vice president, product compliance and safety, effective April 2010. Frankos is currently the director, division of dietary supplements programs, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), at the Food and Drug Administration. He will report to the company’s General Counsel Brett Chapman.

Frankos, one of the country’s foremost authorities on dietary supplements, has more than two decades experience in creating policies and standards for safe and effective dietary supplements and ingredients, and led efforts in developing good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and Serious Adverse Events Reporting.

“Bill Frankos exemplifies Herbalife’s commitment to providing science-based nutritional supplements of the highest quality available in the marketplace,” said Michael O. Johnson, Herbalife chairman and CEO.

In his most recent position at FDA, Frankos served as director, division of dietary supplements programs, CFSAN, directing and coordinating policy, budget, personnel and administrative activities. He advised on policy and management issues on dietary supplement programs, new dietary ingredient safety assessments and related activities pertaining to dietary supplements. He is responsible for full implementation of the DSHEA Act of 1994 to ensure the safety and truthful labeling of dietary supplements and supported legislative compliance, enforcement and public affairs initiatives.

During his tenure, Frankos published a final rule for dietary supplement Good Manufacturing Practice requirements (cGMPs), and worked with FDA field offices to coordinate and evaluate inspections of over 2,000 facilities. He also led efforts on reporting serious adverse events associated with dietary supplements by implementing the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act. He was a key player in reviewing new dietary ingredient notifications, overseeing function claim notifications and served as CFSAN’s lead scientist for dietary supplements and as a toxicology expert on the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Toxicology Study Selection Review Committee.

Before joining the FDA, Frankos was a principal with ENVIRON for over 18 years, providing consultation on FDA and EPA product registration and the toxicological and pharmacological evaluation of data used to assess the risks posed by foods and food additives, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, pesticides, and environmental and occupational exposures.

Frankos has presented on FDA policies on dozens of occasions and has authored numerous papers on dietary supplements. He holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from University of Maryland Pharmacy School; an M.S. in molecular biology and a B.A. in biology from University of Maryland.

SOURCE: Herbalife Ltd.

Unparalleled Scientific Commitment   As a leader in the wellness industry, Herbalife prides itself on the work of our three scientific bodies: the Scientific Advisory Board, Medical Advisory Board and Medical Affairs Group. Together, these teams, comprised of distinguished doctors, award-winning scientists and renowned wellness experts, help advance the field of nutritional science, ensure our products are high quality and educate customers worldwide on every aspect of good health.   Herbalife’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Board David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.N. Professor, UCLA Department of Medicine - Division of Clinical Nutrition, at the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA School of Public Health Director and founder, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition Director, NIH Center for Dietary Supplement Research in Botanicals (CDSRB) Director, NCI-funded Clinical Nutrition Research Unit Vice Chair, UCLA Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine Director, American Board of Nutrition Dr. Heber is included in the “The Best Doctors in America” and “Who’s Who in America?” He has authored over 100 papers and four books for the public, including “What Color is Your Diet?”Dr. Heber’s main research interests are obesity treatment and nutrition for cancer prevention and treatment. Dr. Heber holds a B.S. in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, UCLA, 1969; M.D. Harvard Medical School, 1973; and Ph.D. in Physiology, University of California, 1978. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology and Metabolism by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in Clinical Nutrition by the American Board of Nutrition. Dr. Louis Ignarro, a Nobel Laureate in Medicine 1998 Dr. Ignarro has made exceptional contributions to the advancement of science, including winning the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine in 1998 for his research on Nitric Oxide. His work has inspired scientists around the world and ushered a new era in cardiovascular diagnostics and treatment. A Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Ignarro served as Professor of Pharmacology at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans. Before teaching, he served as a scientist at CIBA-GEIGY. Dr. Ignarro has published many articles and received the Basic Research Prize of the American Heart Association for outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science. He was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences the same year, and into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences the next.Dr. Ignarro holds a B.S. in Pharmacology, Columbia University, 1962, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 1966. He received his Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, 1968.