At the end of September, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) sent letters to multiple direct sales companies regarding improper product claims made by their independent distributors, specifically on independent websites and through social media. These letters detailed specific examples of inappropriate marketing behavior, along with an overall directive to correct and prevent them immediately. The following link directs you to an article detailing the situation. We encourage each of you to review it and share it with your teams as soon as possible.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/24/fda-warns-three-companies-against-marketing-their-products-as-ebola-treatments-or-cures/

These warnings highlight an all-too-common practice that is unfortunately not restricted to these three marketers; the practice of using exaggerated, unsupported and sometimes unsafe claims to promote products.

We believe reviewing this will serve to increase your awareness of the rules and regulations surrounding the practice of sharing natural products. More importantly, we are confident that it will re-enforce the advantage of purchasing from and partnering with a time-honored and trusted company like Synergy WorldWide that emphasizes quality products and sales integrity.

For over 15 years, Synergy WorldWide and for over 40 years, Nature’s Sunshine Products, has led the way in product quality and efficacy and provided plentiful education. We strive to use the utmost substantiation and legal awareness in our advertising and actively guide and train our distributors to do the same. Advancing the cause of natural health fairly, responsibly, and conscientiously is a hallmark of doing business the Synergy way. The fact that we hold discretion in such high esteem is not a reflection of any lack confidence in our products and people. It is quite the opposite! Our notable longevity and solid reputation confirm our distributors’ passion and knowledge surrounding the impressive health results that our pure and potent natural solutions consistently provide.

However, as one of the world’s most trusted companies, we earnestly strive to honor that trust by staying within legal boundaries and away from statements that might mislead or give our customers unrealistic, unfounded or even unsafe expectations.

We applaud your already-stellar efforts in this regard and hope you take this opportunity to recommit and continue to conduct your business with the utmost attention to quality, service, and integrity. Should you have any questions about what claims are permissible, or our policies and procedures regarding claims, please click here to view our “Policies and Procedures” handbook. Additionally, you may contact Customer Service at (801) 769-7800 or email hotline@synergyworldwide.com.

Yours in health and prosperity,

Dan Norman
President, Synergy WorldWide

Rich Strulson
Executive Vice President/General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, NSP

Synergy WorldWide, along with Nature’s Sunshine Products, is happy to announce that Dr. Sang Geon Kim, Ph.D. has joined our its Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. As a professor currently based in Seoul, Korea, Dr. Kim brings with him a wealth of global experience and expertise. It is a privilege to have him as part of the Synergy team.

The addition of Dr. Kim to our Medical and Scientific Advisory Board “will help drive our product development strategy of leveraging science-based intellectual property to solve mega-trend health problems,” said Gregory L. Probert, Chairman and CEO of Synergy/NSP. “We believe that Dr. Kim’s vast research in the field of metabolic dysfunction will allow him to be a terrific asset in terms of our product development. We’re excited about this partnership and look forward to the expertise that he brings to our company.”

Dr. Matt Tripp, Synergy/NSP’s Chief Scientific Officer, added, “Dr. Kim’s extensive research background and knowledge will be of great value in helping guide us to new discoveries and innovations.”

Background
Dr. Kim’s accomplishments are many. In 2010, he was honored by the President of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Earlier that year, he was named the “Scientist of the Month” by the Ministry of Science and Education. He also received the Best Pharmacologist Award from the Korean Society of Pharmacology in 2008, among other honors. Dr. Kim has been published in peer reviewed journals more than 200 times. He has personally trained in his lab over 100 graduate students pursuing masters, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees.

Dr. Kim currently serves as Vice Director of the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea. He is also the Director of the Innovative Drug Research Center for Metabolic and Inflammatory Disease (IDRC) at Seoul National University and maintains a professorship in the College of Pharmacy at the university. In addition, he sits on the Toxicology Advisory Board for the Korean Food and Drug Administration. Previously, he served as the Director of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources and as the Associate Dean of the College of Pharmacy, both in Seoul.

Dr. Kim earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He earned both his master’s degree in Pharmacology and his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea.

“I’m thrilled to team up with Nature’s Sunshine Products and accept a position on their Medical and Scientific Advisory Board,” Kim said. “I’m eager to share my research in metabolic dysfunction and know that it can play an integral role in the development of cutting-edge products that can help improve the lives of millions of people across the globe.”