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LEGAL NEWSLINE

Friday, March 29, 2024

Florida court rules against defendant in herpes drug case

Judiciary

ORLANDO, Florida (Legal Newsline) — A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida will prevent James R. Hill of Ocala from distributing unapproved drugs that allege to cure the herpes virus.

The Department of Justice charged that Hill marketed his product, Viruxo Immune Support (Viruxo), as a “natural herpes medicine” that can “stop herpes outbreaks.” Viruxo is an unapproved and misbranded drug and the department alleged Hill’s claims were false.

“Unfortunately, many dietary supplements cannot do what their sellers claim they can do,” said principal deputy assistant attorney general Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “In some instances, consumers might be choosing supplements over other proven therapies for serious conditions under the mistaken belief that these products can help. The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with FDA to prevent the distribution of unapproved drugs.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Hill must not only stop the sale of the product, but also notify the FDA and receive its permission before he sells or distributes any drug products in the future.

“Consumers should exercise extreme caution when purchasing supplements online,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III for the Middle District of Florida. “Viruxo was marketed to consumers as a ‘medicine’ for herpes, even though this product was not approved by the FDA and there were no well-controlled clinical studies to support the therapeutic claims.”

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