Expert Editorial Review*

Shayne Gad, PhD, DABT, ATS
Principal, Gad Consulting
Adjunct Prof. of Toxicology
Duke University Medical Center

Adelaide Ann Hebert, MD
Prof., Dept. of Dermatology and Pediatrics
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston

* The content of this site has been independently reviewed by the above subject matter experts.

Points of View on Lindane:

Food and Drug Administration

The truth about lindane

Lindane medications have been used in healthcare for more than 50 years. They are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the second-line treatment of scabies and lice, meaning they are only prescribed when first-line therapies have failed or cannot be tolerated.

Scabies and lice infestations are highly-contagious parasitic diseases of the skin that affect millions of Americans and hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Despite available treatments, these conditions remain common public health problems that require a range of treatment options.

The FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to support the appropriate use of lindane medications in clinical practice. Petitions to ban the manufacture, sale, and prescription of these necessary therapies have been repeatedly rejected by medical and scientific experts working with U.S. regulatory agencies, who have determined all such petitions to be without merit. Click here for expert opinions and views on lindane.

Important changes in prescription packaging and labeling and patient education have further enhanced the benefit-safety balance of lindane medications. Click here for accurate facts about lindane.