Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ADVERTISING NEWS: FTC workshop to examine advertising for homeopathic products, (Jun 1, 2015)

The FTC is hosting a public workshop, entitled “Homeopathic Medicine & Advertising,” on Monday, September 21, 2015, in Washington, DC, to examine advertising for over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic products.

In its announcement of the conference, the FTC invites the public to submit research, recommendations for topics of discussion, and requests to participate as panelists. Topics to be covered in the workshop include:

• A look at changes in the homeopathic market, its advertising, and what consumers know;

• The science behind homeopathy and its effectiveness;

• The effects of recent class actions against homeopathic product companies;

• The application of Section 5 of the FTC Act to advertising claims for homeopathic products; and

• Public policy concerns about the current regulation of homeopathic products.

“During the last few decades, the homeopathic drug industry in the United States has grown considerably from a multimillion-dollar to a multibillion-dollar market,” the Commission notes. “In that time, the homeopathic drug market has shifted from one based primarily on formulations prescribed for an individual user to mass-market formulations widely advertised and sold nationwide in major retail stores.”

Public comments may be submitted electronically here. Paper submissions may be sent to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite CC-5610 (Annex B), Washington, D.C. 20580. The deadline for submitting public comments is Friday, November 20, 2015.

News: Advertising ConsumerProtection FederalTradeCommissionNews