FDA, FTC Warn Companies to Stop Selling Fraudulent COVID-19 Drugs

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to seven companies for selling false coronavirus (COVID-19) drugs, vaccines, and other products, according to a recent press release.

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The warning letters are the first to be issued by the FDA for unapproved products targeting COVID-19 patients. These drugs pose a great threat to patient health and also violate federal law.

 “The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to public health. We have an aggressive surveillance program that routinely monitors online sources for health fraud products, especially during a significant public health issue such as this one,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, MD.

An FDA cross-agency task force, in collaboration with various retailers, has removed more than a dozen listings of fraudulent COVID-19 products so far, the announcement stated.

The warning letters were issued to Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd, Xwphyr, N-Ergetics, GuruNanda, LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and the Jim Bakker Show. These companies claimed that their teas, essential oils, tinctures, and colloidal silver were effective in treating COVID-19 even though the FDA had previously warned that one or more of the products were “not safe or effective for treating any disease.”

The FDA and FTC requested that these companies respond in 48 hours describing the steps they will take to correct their actions.

As individuals become more anxious and paranoid over the inevitable spread of the coronavirus, the FDA voiced its concern that these unapproved products and drugs patients may halt legitimate medical treatment, leading to life-threatening harm.

“What we don’t need in this situation are companies preying on consumers by promoting products with fraudulent prevention and treatment claims. These warning letters are just the first step. We’re prepared to take enforcement actions against companies that continue to market this type of scam,” said Joe Simons, FTC chairman.

There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent COVID-19. But some products are in the early stages of development.

Just recently, researchers at the University of Alberta discovered that remdesivir, which was effective in treating Middle East respiratory (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), may be a successful treatment for COVID-19.

Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment that was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc to treat Ebola back in 2013 and has tackled the viral pathogens in MERS and SARS, which are structurally similar to COVID-19. Experts believe that remdesivir could have potential activity against the coronavirus.

“We know the drug works against different coronavirus, like MERS and SARS, and we know the novel coronavirus is very similar to SARS. So I would say I’m cautiously optimistic that the results our team found with remdesivir and MERS will be similar with COVID-19,” said Matthias Gotte, a virologist.

The FDA claimed that it will continue to monitor social media, online marketplaces, and any future complaints to ensure that companies do not sell false products under approved company names using its task force.

Although the FDA will expand its efforts to address this ongoing issue, it reminds consumers to be extremely cautious of websites and stores selling products that claim to treat COVID-19. These products may be dietary supplements, drugs, medical devices, vaccines, and even food.

“We understand consumers are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and urge them to talk to their healthcare providers, as well as follow advice from other federal agencies about how to prevent the spread of this illness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those that place the public health risk and hold bad actors accountable,” the press release concluded.