A recent interview with Dr. Mathias Schmidt discusses the prolonged kava ban initiated by Germany in June 2002. This legal struggle against the Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM) has evolved from concerns about safety and efficacy to a dispute over market authorization. Despite a recent court ruling in Germany that challenged BfArM’s position, the fight is expected to continue. BfArM has resisted lifting the ban following eight reported cases of liver toxicity linked to kava products.
With little success in legal avenues, Dr. Schmidt urges the Fijian government and other Pacific nations to seek assistance from Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He speculates that BfArM may look for new reasons to prolong the ban, predicting they could leverage another European Union committee to reinforce their stance. He expressed concern regarding pharmaceutical companies’ dwindling patience and resources, which may lead them to abandon their efforts altogether.
Dr. Schmidt emphasizes the need for diplomatic engagement to resolve the long-standing issue, advising that the Fijian government contact Germany’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to push for reconsideration of the ban, citing it as an arbitrary decision that has gone unchallenged for too long.
He also discussed the impact of Germany’s ban on the European market, indicating that other EU nations are hesitant to lift their restrictions as long as Germany maintains its stance. Furthermore, he acknowledged the challenges of ensuring kava quality and compliance with EU standards, arguing that the Pacific nations must prepare their growers for the necessary quality control measures to successfully re-enter the market.
Dr. Schmidt concluded with the two key messages: to apply diplomatic pressure to lift the ban and to prepare kava producers for stringent quality documentation standards. The two companies still pursuing the kava market authorization are Harras Pharma in Munich and MIT Company in Australia.