South Carolina Defective Drug Attorneys
If you’ve been on a diet, you know that a quick fix sounds very promising, but we all know that it’s not very realistic.
With far reaching claims to “reset your metabolism,” change “abnormal eating patterns,” and shave 20-30 pounds in 30 to 40 days, human chorionic gonadotropin, known as HCG, sounds promising. Despite such promises, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission caution that these products do not work and has issued warning letters to seven manufacturing companies instructing them to discontinue selling over-the-counter weight-loss products contain HCG.
Affected companies include Diet Direct, Nurti Fusion Systems, Natural Medical Supply (HCG Complete Diet), HCG Platinum, Theoriginalhcgdrops.com, and HCG-miracleweightloss.com.
The acting director of the FDA’s fraud unit, Elizabeth Miller, commented that there is not enough evidence to support that HCG generates weight loss results that differ from a low-calorie diet, further pointing out that the recommended diets call for a low-calorie diet as low as 500 calories, which can result in malnutrition and other nutritional deficiencies. Based upon data compiled by the FDA, any corresponding weight loss is a result of the severe calorie restriction, not the FCG.
The affected HCG manufacturers were issued warning letters reiterating that HCG has not been approved by the FDA for weight-loss or any other over the counter purpose. HCG, a hormone produced by the human placenta during pregnancy, has only been approved for female infertility treatments and other medical conditions. In fact, according to the FDA, the prescription HCG label notes that there “is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”
The companies were given a 15 day timeline to report back to the FDA and inform them of their progress to correct the violation. Manufacturers can seek approval for the weight-loss product, though it is speculated that the companies will put an end to selling the product all together. The FTC and FDA have threatened to shut each company down if it fails to comply with these provisions.
It is unclear exactly how many consumers have purchased HCG products though these products have been considered a popular weight loss trend in recent years.
