Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
Forrest Media Incorporated
|
Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration |
| Silver Spring, MD 20903 |
From: FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
FDAlnternetPharmacyTaskForce-CDER@fda.hhs.gov
Date: November 16, 2009
TO: Forrest Media Incorporated
54 Fairbanks Rd
P.O. Box 266 GT
George Town, Grand Cayman
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
ROCKVILLE, MD 20903
TO: Forrest Media Incorporated
FROM: Food and Drug Administration Internet Pharmacy Task Force
RE: Internet Marketing of Unapproved and Misbranded Drugs
DATE: November 16, 2009
WARNING LETTER
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed your websites at approved-swiss-meds.com, buy-rx-today.com, direct-rx-refill.com, value-european-pharmacy.com, mypillsfinder.com, dutyfreemeds.com, swissmeds.com, bestrxdeal.com, happypharmacy.net and european-pharm.com and has determined that you are offering products for sale in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act). These products include, but are not limited to, "Acomplia (Brand)," "Acomplia (Generic)," "Rimonabant," "Viagra (Brand)," "Cialis (Brand)," and "Prozac (Generic)." We request that you immediately cease marketing violative products.
These products are drugs under section 201 (g) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 321 (g), because they are intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and/or because they are intended to affect the structure or function of the body. Your marketing and distribution of these drugs violate various provisions of the Act, as described below:
Unapproved New Drugs
Your firm offers many unapproved new drugs including, but not limited to "Acomplia (Brand),"
"Acomplia (Generic)," and "Rimonabant." FDA is taking this action against your firm because of
the inherent risk in buying unapproved prescription drugs. Unapproved drugs from unregulated
sources do not have the same assurance of safety and effectiveness as drugs subject to FDA
oversight and have been found to be contaminated, counterfeit, contain varying amounts of active ingredients, or contain different ingredients altogether. For drugs that are regulated by FDA, FDA protections include rigorous scientific standards for prescription drug approval and label review for accuracy and completeness, manufacturing procedures and testing performed under closely controlled conditions at FDA-registered and inspected facilities. In addition, pharmacies and wholesalers who sell or distribute prescription drugs in the U.S. are licensed by the states. Unapproved new drugs delivered to the American public from unregulated sources may not be safe and effective.
Rimonabant (also marketed under the name Acomplia) was specifically rejected for FDA approval
because it did not meet the statutory requirements for safety and effectiveness. In June 2007,
the FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs AdVisory Committee unanimously voted not to
recommend approval of the drug because of increased risk of neurological and psychiatric side
effects including seizures, depression, anxiety, insomnia, aggressiveness, and suicidal thoughts
among patients. Accordingly, the "Acomplia (Brand)," "Acomplia (Generic)" and "Rimonabant"
dispensed through your websites are "new drugs," as defined by section 201 (p) of the Act, 21
U.S.C. § 321(p).
Under sections 301(d) and 505(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 331(d) and 355(a), a new drug may
not be introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce unless an FDA-approved
application is in effect for it. Your sale of several products, including "Acomplia (Brand),"
"Acomplia (Generic)," and "Rimonabant" without approved applications violates these provisions
of the Act.
Misbranded Drugs
Your websites offer products for sale without requiring that the products be dispensed under a
prescription from a duly licensed practitioner, including, but not limited to "Viagra (Brand)," "Cialis
(Brand)," and "Prozac (Generic)." Therefore, the drugs are misbranded under section 503(b)(1) of
the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 353(b)(1), and are marketed in violation of sections 301 (a), 301 (b), and
301 (k) of such Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 331 (a), 331 (b), and 331 (k).
Further, your websites offer products for sale and state that the products are in compliance with
U.S. law. As noted above, your products are not in compliance with U.S. law in that they are
offered for sale in violation of the Act. Therefore, these products are misbranded under section
502(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(a), because the labeling of the drugs is false and misleading.
The introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of these misbranded
products violates section 301 (a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 331 (a).
This letter is not intended to identify all of the ways in which your activities might be in violation of United States law. It is your responsibility to ensure that all products marketed by your firm are in compliance with the Act and its implementing regulations. You should take prompt action to correct the violations noted above. Failure to correct these violations promptly may result in regulatory action, including but not limited to, seizure and/or injunction without further notice.
Please notify this office in writing within 15 working days of receipt of this letter of any steps you have taken or will take to correct the noted violations and to prevent their recurrence. If the corrective action(s) cannot be completed within 15 working days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which the correction(s) will be completed. Your response should be sent to FDAlnternetPharmacyTaskForce-CDER@fda.hhs.gov. Please direct any inquiries concerning this letter to FDA's Internet Pharmacy Task Force at FDAlnternetPharmacyTaskForceCDER@fda.hhs.gov or (301) 796-3110.
Sincerely,
/S/
Deborah M. Autor, Esq.
Director
Office of Compliance
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Cc:
PrivacyProtect.org, Domain Administrator
contact@privacyprotect.org
www.approved-swiss-meds.com
www.swissmeds.com
www.european-pharm.com
Laura Owens
PO Box 701
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.buy-rx-today.com
Gordon Mcleod
PO Box 701
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.direct-rx-refill.com
Chris Walsh
PO Box 701
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.value-european-pharmacy.com
www.mypillsfinder.com
Marilyn Strongin
PO Box 701
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.dutyfreemeds.net
Ric Deleon
21 Villamore Street
Manila, Manila 2700
Philippines 7542000
www.bestrxdeal.com
Jared Melchert
39915 Millbrook Way
Murrieta, California 92563
www.happypharmacy.net





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