Marketer of Free Credit Reports Settles FTC Charges

“Free” Reports Tied to Purchase of Other Products; Company to Provide Refunds to Consumers

Consumerinfo.com, Inc., doing business as Experian Consumer Direct, has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceptively marketed “free credit reports” by not adequately disclosing that consumers automatically would be signed up for a credit report monitoring service and charged $79.95 if they didn’t cancel within 30 days, in violation of federal law. The settlement requires Consumerinfo to pay redress to deceived consumers, bars deceptive and misleading claims about “free” offers, requires disclosure of terms and conditions of any “free” offers, and requires the defendant to give up $950,000 in ill-gotten gains.
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Perrigo Company Announces Nationwide Recall of Infants Oral Drops Containing Enclosed Syringe

Contact:
Ernest J. Schenk
(269) 673-9212

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Allegan, MI — July 29, 2005 — The Perrigo Company (Nasdaq: PRGO; TASE) is voluntarily recalling all lots of concentrated infants’ drops that are packaged with a dosing syringe bearing only a “1.6 mL” mark containing:

1. acetaminophen,
2. acetaminophen, dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl, or
3. dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl.

The dosing syringe may be confusing in determining the proper dose for infants under 2 years of age as directed by a doctor and could lead to improper dosing, including overdosing. The following products are being recalled to the retail level:

* Cherry Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5oz. and 1.0oz)
* Grape Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5oz. and 1.0oz)
* Cherry Flavor Cough and Cold Infant Drops (0.5oz)
* Cherry Flavor Decongestant and Cough Infant Drops (0.5oz)
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Cigarette Marketing Expenditures Increased to $15.15 Billion, the Most Ever Reported to the FTC

Federal Trade Commission Issues Cigarette Report for 2003

The FTC’s annual report on cigarette sales and advertising shows that the major cigarette manufacturers spent $15.15 billion on advertising and promotional expenditures in 2003, an increase of $2.68 billion (21.5 percent) from 2002 and the most ever reported to the Commission. The total number of cigarettes sold or given away by those manufacturers decreased by 19.8 billion cigarettes (5.1 percent) from 2002 to 2003. The manufacturers also reported spending $72.9 million on advertisements directed to youth or their parents intended to reduce youth smoking, a 1.8 percent decrease from the $74.2 million reported in 2002.
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South Carolina Physician-hospital Organization Agrees To Settle Physician Price-fixing Charges

Partners Health Network, Inc., a physician-hospital organization (PHO) operating in northwestern South Carolina, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it orchestrated and carried out agreements among its physician members to set the prices they would accept from health plans, and to refuse to deal with health plans that did not agree to its collectively determined prices. The consent order settling the FTC’s charges would prohibit the PHO from engaging in such anticompetitive conduct in the future, to the benefit of consumers in the Pickens County, SC area.
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FDA Announces Strengthened Risk Management Program to Enhance Safe Use of Isotretinoin (Accutane) for Treating Severe Acne

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing approval of a strengthened distribution program for isotretinoin, called iPLEDGE, aimed at preventing use of the drug during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant should not take the drug. Isotretinoin (Accutane and its generics) is a highly effective drug for severe recalcitrant nodular acne, but it carries a significant risk of birth defects if taken during pregnancy.
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FDA Issues Safety Alert on Infants’ Oral Drops Containing Enclosed Syringe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that the Perrigo Company has initiated a voluntary nationwide recall of all lots of concentrated infants’ oral drops that are packaged with a dosing syringe bearing only a “1.6 mL” mark containing acetaminophen; acetaminophen, dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl; or dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl .
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FDA Announces Guidant Class 1 Pacemaker Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is notifying health care providers and patients that Guidant Corporation is voluntarily recalling certain pacemakers. A seal within the devices can leak, allowing moisture to affect the electronic circuits. This defect can cause the pacemakers to fail to provide pacing or can cause a rapid heart rate. Other unexpected device behaviors are also possible. The problems may occur without warning and can lead to loss of consciousness, and possibly heart failure and death.
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More Than Half the U.S. Population is Sensitive to One or More Allergens

More than fifty percent of the U.S. population tested positive to one or more allergens, according to a large national study. The new findings, based on data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), shows that 54.3% of individuals aged 6-59 years old had a positive skin test response to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. The highest prevalence rates were for dust mite, rye, ragweed, and cockroach, with about 25% of the population testing positive to each allergen. Peanut allergy was the least common, with 9% of the population reacting positively to that food allergen.
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CPSC, DESA Heating Products Announce Recall of Compact Gas Fireplaces

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: “Vanguard” and “FMI” Compact Fireplaces
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DOT Announces Record Low Highway Fatality Rate in 2004

The fatality rate on the nation’s highways in 2004 was the lowest since record-keeping began 30 years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today. The number of alcohol-related fatalities also dropped for the second straight year.
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