FTC-PR-240215-1
Date Released: 
February 15, 2024
Headline:
FTC-PR-240215-1 – FTC Order Will Ban California-based Company from COVID-19 Advertising Claims – Case was part of the Commission’s efforts to combat COVID-related health fraud
Excerpt:
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a proposed settlement that would ban California-based Precision Patient Outcomes, Inc. (PPO) and the company’s CEO Margrett Priest Lewis from claiming that dietary supplements can treat, prevent, or mitigate COVID-19.
“The order announced today bans PPO and its owner from making COVID-related health claims and unsubstantiated health claims generally” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It is a reminder to the marketplace that competent and reliable scientific evidence is compulsory when advertising health-related claims.”
According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants began advertising COVID Resist on the company’s website and social media pages during the pandemic with deceptive claims that the product could treat, prevent, or mitigate COVID-19.
Despite learning about the Commission’s enforcement action under the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act against a company making similar claims about the science and efficacy of its products, the defendants only changed the name of the product from COVID Resist to VIRUS Resist and continued to deceptively advertise it as an effective treatment for COVID-19.
Based on this conduct, the FTC alleged that the defendants violated the FTC Act by: 1) making unsubstantiated efficacy claims for their product and 2) falsely claiming to have scientific evidence to support their health claims.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/ftc-order-will-ban-california-based-company-covid-19-advertising-claims
[Date Accessed: 3/6/2024]
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