FDA Cracks Down on Counterfeit Flu Remedies

The flu season is in full swing and its so bad this year that the Centers for Disease Control are calling it an epidemic. You might not be persuaded to get the flu shot, but you also don't want to rely on other methods of preventing or curing the flu that can be very dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration has recently confronted such a problem when they discovered that a Florida-based company has been marketing an inhaled flu remedy.

Flu and Cold Defense LLC has been marketing its Germbullet Inhaler in violation of drug safety regulations, according to the FDA. The company markets the product as a "proprietary blend of 11 organic botanicals" and the company's website claims that the product was tested in a FDA-recognized virology lab and that results showed that the product has the potential to kill cold and flu viruses. The FDA disputes these claims, but says that this bogus product isn't the only one out there capitalizing on consumers' fears during this particularly troublesome flu season.

Other fake remedies that the FDA has encountered include counterfeit vaccines, antiviral drugs, and air filters that claim to remove germs from the air. The FDA sent Flu and Cold Defense LLC a warning letter for its misleading and unproven claims and gave the company 15 days to correct its problematic statements. A man reached by phone at the company could not comment on the warning letter. News stories like these demonstrate how important it is to be careful of the remedies you try at home to cure your ailments–please always be wise and ask your doctor for their advice or suggestions before taking matters into your own hands.