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Soon after the novel coronavirus began infecting people in the U.S., unscrupulous companies rushed to sell products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with fake claims that they could prevent, treat or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consumers need to be aware that such products are fraudulent, a waste of money and potentially harmful.
Since early March, the FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to companies illegally marketing drugs and other products...
Soon after the novel coronavirus began infecting people in the U.S., unscrupulous companies rushed to sell products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with fake claims that they could prevent, treat or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consumers need to be aware that such products are fraudulent, a waste of money and potentially harmful.
Since early March, the FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to companies illegally marketing drugs and other products for prevention or treatment of COVID-19.[1] Among an initial batch of coronavirus-related FDA warning letters sent on March 6 was one to a company named Xephyr — which does business under the name N-Ergetics — for offering products containing colloidal silver for sale in the U.S. that were intended to prevent or treat COVID-19.[2] The warning letter was issued jointly with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Unlike most companies that received one of these warning letters, Xephyr apparently refused to stop selling illegal products for treating COVID-19.[3] The FDA therefore went to federal court and in May obtained a temporary restraining order against the company and three individuals associated with the company, requiring them to immediately stop distributing colloidal silver products.[4] The court found that the company and three individuals were violating federal laws by distributing unapproved drugs.
Even more troubling was an April 8 joint FDA-FTC warning letter to the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing for selling chlorine dioxide under the product name Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) for treatment of COVID-19.[5] Over the past decade, the FDA has warned consumers numerous times to never ingest products such as MMS because when combined with the included activator, it has a chlorine dioxide content equivalent to highly toxic industrial bleach.[6] Among the claims made about MMS on the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing’s website were the following:
- “14 people who were confirmed cases of COVID-19 (in Europe), took MMS and have recovered their health. All of these tested positive and when re-tested after taking MMS, they came out negative for COVID-19.”
- “Again, I have reason to believe, MMS… can be very effective in both preventing and eradicating the coronavirus… let MMS be your first line of defense.”[7]
As with Xephyr, the FDA was forced to go to federal court to obtain a temporary restraining order against the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing and four individuals associated with it after the defendants indicated to the agency that they had no intention of taking corrective action and would continue to sell MMS in violation of federal law.[8]
Protect yourself: Ignore ads for colloidal silver, MMS and the scores of other bogus products being promoted illegally online and elsewhere for COVID-19.
References
[1] Food and Drug Administration. Fraudulent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) products. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[2] Food and Drug Administration. Warning letter to Xephyr LLC. March 6, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/xephyr-llc-dba-n-ergetics-604588-03062020. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[3] Food and Drug Administration. Fraudulent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) products. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[4] Food and Drug Administration. FDA news release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Federal judge enters temporary injunction against Xephyr LLC doing business as N-Ergetics, preventing sale of colloidal silver products for COVID-19. May 14, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-federal-judge-enters-temporary-injunction-against-xephyr-llc-doing. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[5] Food and Drug Administration. Warning letter to Genesis 2 Church. April 8, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/genesis-2-church-606459-04082020. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[6] Food and Drug Administration. FDA news release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Federal judge enters temporary injunction against Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, preventing sale of chlorine dioxide products equivalent to industrial bleach to treat COVID-19. April 17, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-federal-judge-enters-temporary-injunction-against-genesis-ii-church. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[7] Food and Drug Administration. Warning letter to Genesis 2 Church. April 8, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/genesis-2-church-606459-04082020. Accessed May 28, 2020.
[8] Food and Drug Administration. FDA news release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Federal judge enters temporary injunction against Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, preventing sale of chlorine dioxide products equivalent to industrial bleach to treat COVID-19. April 17, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-federal-judge-enters-temporary-injunction-against-genesis-ii-church. Accessed May 28, 2020.
