FDA Seeks Injunction On Sale of Laetrile

FDA Seeks Injunction On Sale of Laetrile

WASHINGTON--The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to crack down on Internet sales of unapproved treatments for serious diseases. In early September, it filed complaint against three companies that were selling laetrile, made from the seeds found in apricot pits, as a cancer treatment.

The products were sold by two Florida corporations, World Without Cancer Inc. and The Health World International, and the Arizona company Health Genesis Corp. The complaint also names David E. Arjona as an officer of the three corporations.

The complaint seeks a permanent injunction against the defendants from promoting and marketing laetrile products while the U.S. District Court in Southern Florida considers the case. The Internet sites also had to cease sales of laetrile during the consideration.

Arjona's attorney told the Washington Post that the client has stopped distributing the laetrile products and "was being harassed by federal bureaucrats." The paper further reported that Arjona planned to move his business to Mexico with an office in Arizona, where it is legal to import laetrile. For more information on the complaint, see www.fda.gov.