FDA and FTC warning on bogus H1N1 influenza products

The US Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have issued an alert to the public concerning the growing availability  of web sites offering products that can supposedly diagnose, prevent,  mitigate, treat or cure the H1N1 swine influenza. The two federal  government agencies also warned the operators of offending Internet  domains that "they must take prompt action to correct and/or remove  promotions of these fraudulent products or face enforcement action."

Michael Chappell, the FDA's Acting Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs  said: "in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, the FDA has  developed an aggressive strategy to identify, investigate and take  regulatory or criminal action against individuals or businesses that  wrongfully promote purported 2009 H1N1 influenza products in an attempt  to take advantage of the current public health emergency." Mr Chappell  stressed that unlicensed products advertised on-line present a risk to  consumers and their families. The FDA operates a web site providing  advice for the purchase of medicines via the Internet, which can be  found at: www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

The FTC Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, said: "the last thing any consumer  needs right now is to be conned by someone selling fraudulent flu  remedies." He added that "the FTC will act swiftly against companies  that resort to deceptive advertising."