FTC Charges Intravenous Product Marketer for First Time

The Federal Trade Commission for the first time charged a seller and marketer of intravenously injected therapies for making deceptive and unconfirmed claims about their ability to treat serious diseases.

The FTC claimed that the company touted the products in question — iV Cocktails — as being able to treat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and congestive heart failure, despite being nothing more than a mix of water, herbs, vitamins and minerals that are injected into the patient’s bloodstream.

The commission’s order bars the Texas company iV Bars from making the claims unless it can support them through scientific evidence.

The enforcement action “should send a clear message to the burgeoning iV therapy industry and sellers of all healthcare products,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons.