FTA sues fraudulent cancer cure companies

William Atkins
Sunday, 21 September 2008 19:14

Science - Health

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wrote letters to Internet companies advertising and selling cancer cure products that it claims are unsubstantiated medically. The FTA sued the e-companies that did not stop such alleged fraudulent and deceitful practices.


In all, 112 letters of warning were sent between August 2007 and January 2008 by the FTC informing Internet companies about their alleged claims with regard to cancer cures.

The FTC stated that many companies stopped or changed their advertising based on these warning letters.

Each letter warned that “…they must have adequate substantiation for any health claims they make about their products.”

Almost 30% of the companies have since closed their sites or removed the unsubstantiated cancer treatment claims. The FTC reviewed the other 70% of the cases to determine if legal action could be taken against them.

The FTC determined that 23 companies could be held legally responsible. The U.S. agency sent warning letters to these companies because “… the marketed products claimed to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent cancer, and because they are not proven to be safe and effective for their labeled use, they are unapproved new drugs marketed in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” [Federal Trade Commission: “FTC Sweep Stops Peddlers of Bogus Cancer Cures ”]

In parallel, the Canadian Competition Bureau sent warning letters to Canadian companies that were selling fraudulent cancer cures online..

The results of this investigation were then announced on Thursday, September 18, 2008. It stated that officials with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and related Canadian agencies, have charged five companies with “making false and misleading claims for cancer cures.” [The Washington Post: “FTC warns consumers about bogus cancer cures”]

Please read page two for additional comments and information on this cancer cure product story, including the names of the companies cited by the FTC.