FDA informs Amazon of certain harmful sexual enhancement products for sale

July 29 (Reuters) – The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) of the sale of sexual enhancement and weight loss products containing potentially harmful drug ingredients, in a letter to new boss Andy Jassy.

The FDA had previously warned consumers in December to avoid male enhancement and weight loss products sold through Amazon, eBay and other retailers, citing hidden dangerous drug ingredients.

In a letter dated July 26, the FDA said it tested dozens of products purchased from December 2019 through February 2020 and found that they contained one or more of the drug ingredients sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil.

None of these ingredients have been named in product labeling, the health regulator said.

Sildenafil, Tadalafil, and Vardenafil are active ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs, Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, which are used to treat erectile dysfunction.

These ingredients could interact with certain prescription drugs and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels, the FDA said.

“We continue to find potentially dangerous products available for purchase and urge stores, websites and online marketplaces, including Amazon, to do more to protect consumers by not selling or facilitating the sale of potentially dangerous and illegal products regulated by the FDA, “said Thursday on Twitter.

In one case, the FDA said it purchased a product from Amazon’s website that the company previously said it restricted, adding that it was concerned that the e-commerce site’s filters were inadequate.

The FDA has asked Amazon to submit a written response within 15 business days on the steps it has taken to address these violations.

Amazon was not immediately available for comment.

Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri

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