FDA WARNS CONSUMERS OF FRAUDULENT 2009 SWINE FLU PRODUCTS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are alerting the public to be wary of internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (commonly known as "swine flu"). The FDA and FTC are also advising the website operators to take prompt action to correct and/or remove promotions of these fraudulent products or face enforcement action.
Michael Chappell, acting FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs said that, "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 flu public health emergency."
The offending web sites are taking advantage of the public's concern about swine flue and their desire to protect themselves and their families. The fraudulent products come in all varieties and could include dietary supplements or other food products, or products purporting to be drugs, devices or vaccines. Such fraudulent products will not prevent the transmission of the virus or offer effective treatments against infections caused by the swine flu, warns the FDA.
The FDA is urging the public to contact their health care providers if they have questions or concerns about medical products or personal preventive products.
The FDA has approved only two antiviral drugs for treatment and prevention of the 2009 swine flu: Tamiflu and Relenza. These two drugs have Emergency Use Authorizations that describe specific authorized uses during this public health emergency.
