Sorry for long thread, but hope to contribute to an issue near and dear to me:
The good and bad about the dietary supplement industry is that it is not regulated (officially) by the FDA. As proof, any / all dietary supplements will contain the words: "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)" on the label.
First and foremost, I feel horrible for those whom suffered liver failure (brutal), as well as USP Labs whom is about to face a litigation nightmare. I suspect the individuals whom suffered liver failure will have some commonality such as use of other liver toxic agents, possible pre-existing liver issues, used excessive amounts of the product, etc. (all speculation of course). This would however explain why not everyone that uses OxyElite Pro suffers liver failure. That said, if you've taken OxyElite Pro for any length of time, is it a horrible idea to go to a lab and have your liver enzymes checked...why not? It's quick, inexpensive and not a bad idea regardless.
Not singling out USP Labs, however a common practice I personally don't like is when supplement companies trademark otherwise meaningless names, such as USP Labs did with "AlphaShred" in OxyElite Pro. It tells the consumer nothing and seems an attempt to deceive the uneducated consumer. Don't get me wrong, I understand why it's done. In such a competitive industry where anything can be copied due to the components being naturally occurring...it's a theoretically smart piece of marketing. For example, one cannot patent the orange. It's a fruit that grows on a tree. However a company can trademark their "brand" of oranges; perhaps "America's Best Oranges!" The reality is, they are still just oranges. The fact is, consumers often pay more for the branded orange (humans are odd).
Back to USP Labs, to their credit, they do clearly indicate all compounds featured under the trademark "AlphaShred". In review, none of them stand out as having known liver toxicity. That said, all supplements taken orally must pass the digestive tract. Unless acidic / digested inside the stomach, the drug is broken down and metabolized at the liver (first pass metabolism). This is where many supplements are largely metabolized into waste (literally), while other compounds are converted into more powerful metabolites. These are called "prodrugs". One example that comes to mind is GBL, a prodrug of GHB.
Perhaps it will be found that one or more of the compounds in OxyPro Elite are stressful to the liver; so is acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol). Even so, people take acetaminophen like candy and an estimated 500 deaths are attributed to liver failure each year due to acetaminophen! The difference? The FDA requires that all acetaminophen products contain a statement something like "Acetaminophen is known to be toxic to the liver. Never exceed the recommended dose. Do not take if you have a pre-existing liver condition.", etc. So I guess it's okay. It may have something to do with the $100 billion company that owns Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson.
Of course, this will give the FDA a reason to impose more regulations and red tape on the dietary supplement industry. By the way, I know first hand that this is not always good for protecting public health! For example, topical (transdermal) administration of natural components avoids first pass metabolism as it passes through the dermis, directly into the blood. However, the FDA does not recognize a dietary supplement in the form of a topical gel or lotion. It's either a "cosmetic" or a "drug". If any systemic benefit / claim is inferred by a topical product, it's only a matter of time before the FDA sends the company a seize and desist letter. This is sad as the fact is, topical supplements are generally safer than oral supplements if for no other reason than any adverse effect is immediately noticed on the organ it passes through...the skin! It takes a while to notice liver damage before it's too late.
The bottom line: "consumer beware". Read the ingredients of the supplement before you use it, if it's a trademarked proprietary blend, unless it states what that blend consists of, I'd pass. We all know the best diet aid available for weight loss is a properly balanced, limited calorie diet with regular exercise, and the price cannot be beat!
It will be interesting to see how the FDA reacts to this in the upcoming weeks, how much the media hypes it (incorrectly of course), and what the end result is. In the meantime, I hope the above information is helpful to some.