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Amazon illegal drugs class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Eric Li and Anita Medal filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com Services LLC.
- Why: Li and Medal claim Amazon promoted and sold therapeutic dietary supplement drugs that were illegal and defective.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
Amazon promoted, sold and delivered illegal drugs that were purported to be “legal, safe, and therapeutic dietary supplements,” a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiffs Eric Li and Anita Medal claim Amazon, through its Fulfilled by Amazon program, sold defective and illegal drugs that were not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and exposed consumers to harm.
Li and Medal argue the FDA issued a warning letter to Amazon in August 2022 over concerns the company was selling and/or putting into interstate commerce ”unlawful drugs in the form of supplements that make unapproved disease claims.”
Amazon, meanwhile, both injured consumers financially and “exposed them to risk of physical injury, including to serious bodily harm” by allegedly engaging in the transaction and sale of “deceptive and unlawful goods,” the class action alleges.
According to the lawsuit, the allegedly illegal and defective drugs sold by Amazon include — but are not limited to:
- Nature’s Bounty Omega-3 Fish Oil
- 5-HTP Capsules — Extra Strength Serotonin Support
- Nature Made Magnesium Oxide Tablets
- Doctor’s Best Alpha-Lipoic Acid Caps
- Nutricost Acetyl LCarnitine 180 Capsules
Li and Medal want to represent a California class of consumers who purchased one or more of the class products from amazon.com during the applicable statute of limitations period.
Amazon failed to disclose drugs it sold had not been government reviewed, class action says
Amazon failed to disclose that the allegedly illegal therapeutic dietary supplement drugs it promoted and sold had not undergone government review prior to their being released for marketing and sale, the class action alleges.
“Without the disclaimer, consumers are dangerously left with the misperception that products claiming to help their health in some way are therapeutic and safe, and reviewed and approved as such,” the Amazon class action states.
Li and Medal claim Amazon is guilty of, among other things, negligent product liability and breach of implied warranty, and of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act.
In a separate case, a federal judge in Washington ruled against Amazon’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing the company of selling sodium nitrite powder that was ingested by two men who died by suicide.
Have you purchased a therapeutic dietary supplement on Amazon? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Maia C. Kats of Just Food Law and Michael D. Braun of Kuzyk Law LLP.
The Amazon illegal drugs class action lawsuit is Li, et al. v. Amazon.com Services LLC, Case No. 3:23-cv-00441, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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167 thoughts onAmazon class action alleges company unlawfully, deceptively sells illegal drugs
This lawsuit is ridiculous. I buy supplements from Amazon, some recommended by my doctor. I research them throughly before I buy. The FDA has no real jurisdiction or approval rights over supplements at this time. I think we can agree Amazon doesn’t necessarily vet its sellers. The supplement industry is self-governing. There is simply no oversight (check out Quackwatch newsletters). Even if or when the FDA can be involved, it’s still our job to do due diligence and investigate any supplement we buy, not just listen to claims. I hope the FDA gets the authority soon over supplements, regarding efficacy and safety. But until then we are stuck doing what we can.
I have purchased many supplements from Amazon in the past few years
I j have purchased many supplements from Amazon and am totally happy with them. If one were to read the labels there would be no problem. Should not be any lawsuit. These same supplements are sold at many stores including Walmart, Albertsons, Rite Aid, etc
Feb. 12, 2023 at 3:27 pm
Please add me!
I have bought several different supplements from Amazon in the past few years.
I have used the fish oil and it is in my past purchases on Amazon.
Add me please
I’ve bought so many supplements from Amazon over the years. Please add me
Add me please
add me
Please add me
Have been purchasing supplements from amazon for years, please add me