Tag: Federal Trade Commission
State Attorneys General pursue consumer protection law claims against stem cell clinics
State Attorneys General are pursuing stem cell clinics offering unproven therapies and engaging in fake clinical trials using state consumer protection and false advertising laws, seeking monetary penalties and injunctive relief. Until there is rational, comprehensive stem cell regulation, these actions can help fill the regulatory gap.
FTC targets physicians’ COVID claims with cease-and-desist letters
The FTC recently announced it had issued 20 more cease-and-desist demands to physicians and others claiming their products and services prevent or treat COVID-19 without sufficient scientific backing. Unfortunately, this has not stopped many of the targets from making other bogus health claims.
Supreme Court rules that FTC cannot seek restitution on behalf of consumers
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the FTC lacks the authority to seek consumer refunds and other monetary relief from scammers. Without a fix from Congress, the ability of the FTC, and perhaps other agencies, to redress financial injuries caused by quacks and other frauds is greatly diminished.
FDA and FTC issue more warning letters citing products and services making illegal COVID claims
The FDA and FTC have issued hundreds of warnings to companies selling products and services claiming, without adequate evidence, that they can prevent or treat COVID-19, but the possibility of government action doesn't seem to be a deterrence.
Plexus: MLM Strikes Again
Many health-related products are sold through multilevel marketing (MLM); now the FTC is warning them to stop making false claims about COVID-19. The tactics that MLMs use to promote all their products are deceptive and are a variation on the old Ponzi scam.
Consumer groups urge feds to act against Mercola and his false COVID-19 claims
Consumer rights organizations urge the FDA and FTC to take action against Joseph Mercola and his businesses over their false, misleading, and dangerous claims that their products will prevent, treat or cure COVID-19.
FTC settles false advertising suit against low-level light therapy marketer with $22 million judgment
Per a settlement with the FTC, the marketers of Willow Curve, a low-level light therapy device costing hundreds of dollars, will have to stop making deceptive claims that the device treats chronic, severe pain and associated inflammation. Any health claims made for the device must be supported by "competent and reliable scientific evidence".
FTC warns naturopaths, acupuncturists, physicians, and chiropractors about false and misleading COVID-19 claims
Since March, the FTC has issued almost 250 warning letters to companies and individuals making unsubstantiated claims for COVID-19 treatments. Included among these are naturopaths, acupuncturists, physicians, and chiropractors.
Dubious for-profit stem cell clinics: Co-opting ClinicalTrials.gov as a marketing tool
Over twenty years ago, cancer quack Stanislaw Burzynski pioneered the abuse of the clinical trial process as a marketing tool to sell his antineoplastons. Now, for-profit stem cell clinics are using ClinicalTrials.gov as a marketing tool for their unproven therapies by listing dubious and scientifically worthless trials in this government database. What can be done?
Walmart sued for deceiving customers in selling homeopathic remedies
A lawsuit claiming Walmart fraudulently deceives consumers in the sale of worthless homeopathic remedies has been filed by the Center for Inquiry (CFI), acting on behalf of the general public. CFI says co-mingling ineffective homeopathic products with science-based treatments on Walmart's pharmacy shelves and website misleads customers into thinking they are equivalent, when "there is not a shred of credible scientific evidence"...