On March 6, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent warning letters to seven companies that were marketing products that they falsely claimed would cure, treat, or prevent coronavirus. The agencies took this enforcement action because the advertised products “are unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law.” Because the products claim to cure, treat, or prevent coronavirus, consumers could decide to abandon FDA-approved treatments, which could be harmful to their health. FTC Chairman Joe Simons alleged that these companies are taking advantage of the coronavirus panic to prey on consumers.
The companies that received warning letters include: Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., Xephyr, LLC doing business as N-Ergetics, GuruNanda, LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and The Jim Bakker Show. The products these companies were selling include teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver, which the FDA has previously warned is not safe or effective for the treatment of any condition. In the warning letters, the agencies gave the companies 48 hours to respond with the specific steps they have taken to correct the violations. If the companies refuse to implement corrective action, they could be subject to seizure and injunction.
There are currently no vaccines or treatments approved for coronavirus, so consumers should be wary of companies advertising products with claims about curing, treating, or preventing coronavirus. Visit the FTC’s website on coronavirus scams to learn how to avoid them and what the FTC is doing to prevent them: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing
Last Updated on May 18, 2020 by Aimed Alliance
