FDA cracks down on bogus anti-viral products from Amazon, Walmart
Enlarge / This 1980 transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited by three poxvirus, molluscum contagiosum virions. (credit: CDC)
The Food and Drug Administration sent a flurry of warning letters this week over bogus homeopathic products falsely claiming to be antiviral cures-products mostly marketed to children.
Amazon, Walmart, and the homeopathic company behind Naturasil products were among those receiving warnings for allegedly selling unapproved drugs in violation of federal regulations. The products are "especially concerning from a public health perspective because they are marketed for use in children," the FDA wrote in its letter to Amazon.
The regulator identified four products on Amazon that were in violation. All of the products claimed to treat molluscum contagiosum, and three were identified as homeopathic products. One of the products was Naturasil's "Molluscum Treatment Kit," which was also the focus of the letter to Walmart.