U.S. authorities gunning for makers of bogus cancer cures

Government authorities in the United States are gunning for companies peddling bogus cancer cures.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused some companies of making false statements regarding their alleged cancer cures - five companies stand accused by the FTC while another six have apparently reached some form of settlement.

The FTC charged the companies with making unsupported claims that their products cured or treated one or more types of cancer and in each case, the company is charged with violating the FTC Act, which bars deceptive claims.

Some complaints allege that the companies also falsely touted clinical or scientific proof for their products.

Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection says there is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind.

In all cases, the companies will be required to notify consumers who purchased the products challenged in the complaints, that there was little or no scientific evidence demonstrating the products’ effectiveness for treating or curing cancer and must also urge these customers to consult with their doctors about the products.

This move is part of a campaign to inform and warn consumers about the bogus cures for several diseases.

In its list of the bogus cancer cures, the FTC included essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve, mushroom extracts and also a "systematized program of thinking good thoughts."

Among the companies caught by the FTC with the bogus claims of cancer curing were:-

Ni-Gen Nutrition, Westberry Enterprises, Jim Clark's All Natural Cancer Therapy of Louisville, Omega Supply of San Diego, Herbs for Cancer, Daniel Chapter One, Gemtronics, Bioque Technologies, Holly A. Bacon, Premium-essiac-tea-4less and the Native Essence Herb Company.

The companies who settled the dispute with the agency agreed to pay restitution ranging from $9,000 to $250,000 and will also be prohibited from selling or disclosing their consumer lists to others.

The products include essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve (a corrosive ointment), and mushroom extracts.

Parnes says many of these products are scams and the last thing a person needs in a battle against cancer, is a scam.

The FTC also has a new Web site about bogus cancer cures – www.ftc.gov/curious – which tells consumers how to spot and report bogus claims they see online, and urges people with cancer to talk to their treatment team about any products they’d like to try.

The cases in question are the result of an Internet search conducted by the FTC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Competition Bureau Canada in June 2007.

Following the search, the FTC sent warning letters via e-mail to 112 Web sites between August 2007 and January 2008 and of those contacted almost 30% either closed their sites or removed the problematic cancer treatment claims.

The remainder were reviewed to determine whether a law enforcement action was warranted or whether they should be referred to the FDA or the Competition Bureau.

Warning letters were sent by the FDA to 23 U.S. companies and two foreign individuals, stating that 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.

The Competition Bureau sent similar warning letters to Canadian companies that were selling fraudulent cancer cures online and almost all the companies have since corrected their marketing materials - the bureau says additional enforcement actions will be taken to ensure compliance by the rest.