This also on Gogle search....http://www.bestcmo.com/ for CMO and
http://www.cmorelief.com/special.html Tel Tofflemire wrote: > Found this in Google search ??????? on CMO > > > > For Release: June 24, 1999 > > "Operation Cure.all" Targets Internet Health Fraud > > FTC Law Enforcement and Consumer Education Campaign Focuses > on Stopping the > Quacks and Supplying Consumers with Quality Information > > Internet health fraud is the target of a comprehensive law > enforcement and consumer education > campaign announced today by the Federal Trade Commission at > a press conference in Washington, > D.C. The campaign, "Operation Cure.All," uses the Internet > both as a law enforcement tool to stop > bogus claims for products and treatments touted as cures > for various diseases and as a > communication tool to provide consumers with good quality > health information. Four cases that > resulted from the agency's "Health Claims Surf Day" were > part of today's announcement. The > companies settled FTC charges that the four web sites made > deceptive and unsubstantiated health > claims concerning "miracle cures" for serious illnesses: > cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and liver > disease, among others. Also unveiled at the press > conference were valuable resources for > consumers to use to obtain reliable health information on > the Web. > > "Quality, not quackery is the focus of our new campaign, > "Operation Cure.All," said Jodie > Bernstein, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer > Protection. "As consumers become more > assertive about making their own health care decisions, the > Internet offers a powerful tool for finding > health information. Our survey of the web sites found that > too many make deceptive, unproven and > fraudulent claims. Miracle cures, once thought to be > laughed out of existence, have found a new > medium. Consumers now spend millions on unproven, > deceptively marketed products on the Web. > Our law enforcement efforts will continue to focus on > deceptive and unproven claims. But limited > resources cannot keep up with the proliferation of web > sites promoting fraudulent products. > Consumers must be provided with reliable resources so that > they can use the Internet to find the > support and health care information they need." > > Bernstein said that nearly 22.3 million adults in this > country sought health and medical information > online as of December 1998, making health and medical > content the sixth most commonly accessed > type of information on the Web. Twenty-nine percent of all > Americans looked to the Internet for > medical information and nearly 70 percent of those > searching for health care information on the > Web, do so before visiting a doctor's office, she said. > Most online consumers search for information > about diseases, and about one out of four of these > consumers joins an online support group. > Cancer-related searches are the most frequently sought > disease category, followed by heart disease. > > At the press conference, Bernstein outlined the charges in > the four cases, gave the results of "Health > Claims Surf Days," which the agency conducted with public > health, consumer protection and > information agencies from 25 countries, including the > United States, Canada, and Mexico, and > introduced two new FTC Consumer Alerts, titled "Fraudulent > Health Claims: Don't Be Fooled" and > "Virtual 'Treatments' Can Be Real-World Deceptions." > > Also appearing at today's event was Dr. Mary Jo Deering, > Director of Health Communication and > Telehealth at the U.S. Department of Health and Human > Services. Dr. Deering spoke on behalf of > healthfinder, the federal consumer health information > gateway, and the HHS Science Panel on > Interactive Communication and Health. The panel has issued > a report that presents specific guidance > for promoting sound, appropriate assessment of this > emerging field. > > "The Internet is an important new tool for promoting health > and spreading the prevention message. > But with so many consumers relying on health information > from the Web, we need to ensure that > what they find is sound. www.healthfinder.gov is the > federal gateway for reliable information. It > provides specific resources to educate people about fraud > and quackery and how to find and > evaluate information on the Web," said Dr. David Satcher, > Assistant Secretary for Health and > Surgeon General. > > The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has a website, > located at www.fda.gov, which is > another valuable source of accurate and unbiased > information. "The Internet can be a very powerful > and useful tool for consumers - but it must be used > carefully," said Gary Dykstra, FDA's Deputy > Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. "In > particular, consumers need to check out > medical products or services offered on the Internet with > physicians, pharmacists and other health > care professionals. FDA is committed to working with the > FTC, and with healthcare and consumer > groups to help broaden consumer awareness about the > Internet - its potential benefits and possible > risks." > > The FTC conducted two Health Claim Surf Days, one in 1997 > and the other in 1998. The surf days > identified approximately 800 World Wide Web sites and > numerous Usenet newsgroups that contain > questionable promotions for products or services purporting > to help cure, treat or prevent six > diseases: heart disease, cancer, AIDS, diabetes, arthritis, > and multiple sclerosis. After each Surf > Day, web sites were sent e-mail messages, alerting them > that their claims require scientific > substantiation and that disseminating false or > unsubstantiated claims violates federal law. Following > the e-mail, FTC staff surveyed a representative sample of > the 1998 sites and found that 28 percent > of the sites had either removed their claims or had been > taken down. Bernstein said that the agency > is very encouraged by the fact that over a hundred sites > making questionable claims voluntarily > cleaned up their act, but warned that the agency will > continue to monitor the Web for fraud and > deception and bring law enforcement cases as appropriate. > > In the four FTC cases announced today, the companies were > charged with making unsubstantiated > health claims for products advertised on the Internet. The > companies agreed to settle the charges > and the proposed settlement agreements were announced today > for public comment. > > According to the agency, John Sneed and Melinda Sneed d/b/a > Arthritis Pain Care Center > (APCC) marketed CMO, purportedly a fatty acid derived from > beef tallow, to distributors and > consumers. APCC claimed that CMO cures most forms of > arthritis by permanently modifying the > immune system, and that the product is beneficial in > treating numerous other diseases. The complaint > alleges that APCC's efficacy claims are unsubstantiated and > that the claims about certain scientific > studies, including studies at the National Institutes of > Health, are false. The proposed settlement > would resolve the charges by prohibiting APCC from making > unsubstantiated claims for CMO. The > company also would be prevented from making unsubstantiated > health claims for any food, drug, > dietary supplement or program and from misrepresenting the > results of any tests or research. > > Body Systems Technology, Inc. (BST) sells to consumers > shark cartilage capsules as well as > capsules and liquid containing a Peruvian plant derivative, > Cat's Claw, the agency charged. The > company promoted them as effective treatments for cancer, > HIV/AIDS, and arthritis, and > represented to consumers that scientific studies > established their efficacy. In fact, according to the > FTC, the claims are unsubstantiated. The proposed consent > order would prohibit similar > unsubstantiated claims for any product or program and also > would bar BST from making > unsubstantiated health claims for any food, drug, dietary > supplement or program. Additionally, the > proposed order would require BST to identify, notify, and > make refunds to all purchasers of these > products during a proscribed period of time, the agency > said. > > Magnetic Therapeutic Technologies, Inc. and Jim B. > Richardson (MTT) promote magnetic > therapy devices, using testimonials to help extol their > purported ability to treat and alleviate a > multitude of medical problems and diseases, including > various types of cancer and high blood > pressure. According to the FTC's complaint, MTT made > unsubstantiated claims that its magnetic > therapy products are effective in treating various cancers, > HIV and other diseases and health > conditions. The proposed consent order would prohibit MTT > from making similar unsubstantiated > claims for magnetic therapy products and other > unsubstantiated claims about health benefits, > performance or efficacy of any product or program. > > Pain Stops Here! Inc. and Sande R. Caplin (PSH), also > promoted magnetic therapy devices > and made disease treatment claims for its devices. This > company operates in a similar manner as > MTT, the FTC said. PSH markets magnetic therapy devices as > effective in treating a variety of > ailments, including cancer, liver disease, and arthritis. > The complaint challenges ten claims as > unsubstantiated. The proposed consent order would prohibit > PSH from making similar > unsubstantiated efficacy claims for magnetic therapy > products, as well as any other unsubstantiated > claims about the performance, safety, efficacy, or health > benefits of any product or program. It also > would prohibit PSH from misrepresenting the results of any > scientific studies or research. > > Bernstein offered consumers the following tips for > evaluating any health claim. She said if it sounds > too good to be true, it probably is. She also said to be on > the lookout for the typical phrases and > marketing techniques fraudulent promoters use to deceive > consumers. > > The product is advertised as a quick and effective > cure-all for a wide range of ailments. > The promoters use words like scientific breakthrough, > miraculous cure, exclusive > product, secret ingredient or ancient remedy. > The text is written in "medicalese" - > impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of > good science. > The promoter claims the government, the medical > profession or research scientists have > conspired to suppress the product. > The advertisement includes undocumented case histories > claiming amazing results. > The product is advertised as available from only one > source. > > Bernstein also expressed the agency's appreciation for the > assistance of the U.S. Food and Drug > Administration; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, San > Diego Field Office; Health Canada; > Secretaria de Salud of Mexico; the Office of the Texas > Attorney General and the North Carolina > Attorney General; the Texas Department of Health; and the > California Department of Health, San > Diego Office in " Operation Cure.All." > > The Commission vote to approve the proposed settlements for > public comment was 4-0. > > A summary of each of the proposed consent agreements will > be published in the Federal Register > shortly. They will be subject to public comment for 60 > days, after which the Commission will decide > whether to make them final. Comments should be addressed to > the FTC, Office of the Secretary, > 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. > > >
