CSPI Letters re: Antiviral claims by supplement manufacturers
Sent to FDA, FTC, Amazon
Certain retailers continue to prey on coronavirus fears by illegally marketing their supplements as “antiviral” products. And regardless of whether a dietary supplement’s marketing is intended to capitalize on the current pandemic, any claim that a supplement has antiviral properties is considered an impermissible disease claim by the FDA. Addressing such antiviral claims is thus the necessary next step to remove products with misleading marketing during this pandemic.
This letter provides CSPI's findings regarding 46 dietary supplements marketed on Amazon with antiviral claims (for details, please see Appendix). CSPI urges the FDA to issue warning letters and prohibit the sale of these products, which, by making these antiviral claims, are being marketed as unapproved and/or misbranded drugs. CSPI also urges the Federal Trade Commission to write to companies requesting re-evaluation of the claims, and urges Amazon to de-list the products.