Commission Upholds ALJ Ruling Against Telebrands Corp.

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a unanimous opinion and order holding respondents Telebrands Corporation (Telebrands), TV Savings, L.L.C. (TV Savings), and their principal Ajit Khubani liable for disseminating unsubstantiated and false advertising for the Ab Force, a belt-like device that uses electronic stimulation (EMS) to cause involuntary contraction of the muscles of the abdominal wall. The respondents reaped over $19 million from sales of the Ab Force, despite their admission that the product did not produce results. According to the FTC’s opinion, “This is a case about firm abs and phony ads. It illustrates how false and unsubstantiated claims can be communicated indirectly but with utter clarity – to the detriment of consumers and in violation of the laws this Commission enforces.”
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FTC’s Litigation Continues Against Four Remaining Defendants

Three defendants will give up $4.5 million in cash and other assets to settle Federal Trade Commission charges stemming from their roles in the marketing of CortiSlim and CortiStress, dietary supplements promoted for weight loss and disease prevention, respectively. The surrendered assets will include an investment partnership and related charitable foundation, a boat, a truck, and a variety of real estate interests. As part of the settlement, the defendants cannot seek a cash refund of state or federal taxes for 2003, 2004, or 2005 that were paid prior to the settlement. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that the defendants made false or unsubstantiated product claims and used deceptively formatted infomercials in pitching the dietary supplements.
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Orders Australian Defendants to Pay $2.2 Million

A U.S. district court judge has ordered a permanent halt to an operation that used illegal spam to make bogus claims for human growth hormone products that contained no human growth hormone and diet patches that did not provide the miraculous results they claimed. Judge Marvin E. Aspen ruled that the operators were violating federal laws and ordered them to pay a total of $2.2 million – the entire amount of their ill-gotten gain.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the approval for marketing of several generic versions of drugs that treat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Previously, the products had been only tentatively approved and were not available in the United States because patent or market exclusivity blocked their approval. With the expiration of those patents, the following products today have receive full marketing authorization for the United States: (1) zidovudine (zye-DOE-vue-deen) tablets manufactured by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited of Guragon, India; (2) zidovudine tablets and oral solution manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma LTD. Hyderabad, India; and (3) zidovudine tablets manufactured by Roxane Laboratories of Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. These are the first generic versions of the already-approved Retrovir brand manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline to be approved for marketing in the U.S. FDA previously determined as part of a tentative approval action that these products meet all U.S. manufacturing quality and clinical safety and efficacy standards.
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Defendants Banned from Marketing Weight-Loss Products and Dietary Supplements in the U.S.

The alleged masterminds behind a fraudulent scheme to market two seaweed-based patches as weight-loss products to U.S. consumers have settled Federal Trade Commission charges. The defendants, all based in the United Kingdom, will pay $150,000 – the profits they made from selling Hydro-Gel Slim Patch and Slenderstrip in the United States. Under the settlement, the defendants will be banned in the U.S. from making, advertising, or selling any dietary supplement, food, drug, or weight-loss product, and cannot make claims about other health-related products or services unless the claims are backed by scientific evidence.
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FTC Advises Consumers not to Reply, Click the Link, or Paste the Link Found in Unsolicited Emails

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many consumers are looking for news about the hurricane or information about charities that are helping victims. The Federal Trade Commission cautions consumers to be careful of email messages that make these offers. A new Consumer Alert from the FTC warns that fraud artists are sending spam trying to rip-off consumers.
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Good, Better, Best: How to Improve Gas Mileage

Whether you are shopping for a new car or just trying to maintain the one you have, you can take some steps to get the best mileage out of your gas purchases. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers these tips to use fuel efficiently:
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[Posted 09/14/2005] ImClone Systems Incorporated, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and the FDA notified healthcare professionals of changes to the WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION sections of the prescribing information for Erbitux, indicated for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expressing metastatic colorectal carcinoma.
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Make / Models : Model/Build Years:

CHEVROLET / AVALANCHE 1999-2002
CHEVROLET / SILVERADO 1999-2002
CHEVROLET / SUBURBAN 1999-2002
CHEVROLET / TAHOE 1999-2002
GMC / SIERRA 1999-2002
GMC / YUKON 1999-2002
GMC / YUKON XL 1999-2002

Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
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Make / Models : Model/Build Years:

TOYOTA / 4 RUNNER 1989-1995
TOYOTA / PICKUP 1989-1995
TOYOTA / T100 1993-1998

Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
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