Bogus claims by homeopathic drug makers will now face wrath of FTC

Enlarge / Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Gel. (credit: Getty | Miami Herald)

The Federal Trade Commission will no longer turn a blind eye to bogus or misleading claims by homeopathic drug makers, according to an enforcement policy statement the commission released Tuesday.

Makers of over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic drugs and products that claim to cure or treat ailments will now have to clearly disclose in their advertisements and labeling that: 1) there is no scientific evidence that they are effective, and 2) that any claims of effectiveness are only based on homeopathic theories, which are not accepted by modern medical experts.

In its statement, the FTC asserted that it has long had the authority to crack down on false and misleading claims. That includes in the decades after the Food and Drug Administration allowed homeopathic products to go on the market without demonstrations of their efficacy. “Nevertheless, in the decades since the Commission announced in 1972 that objective product claims must be substantiated, the FTC has rarely challenged misleading claims for products that were homeopathic or purportedly homeopathic,” the agency noted.