FDA bans misleading chelation ‘cures’
Eight companies were warned Thursday to stop marketing chelation “miracle cures” that claim to treat everything from autism to Parkinson’s disease by flushing toxic metals from the body, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
Regulators said the products, sold over the internet, can cause dehydration, kidney failure and death.
‘These products are dangerously misleading because they are targeted to patients with serious conditions and limited treatment options.’—Deborah Autor
Known as chelation therapies, the products have been used for decades, although medical societies and government experts say there is no evidence they cure diseases.
The only FDA-approved chelation therapies are used to treat lead and mercury poisoning.“These products are dangerously misleading because they are targeted to patients with serious conditions and limited treatment options,” said FDA’s Deborah Autor, director of compliance in the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.