The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified Amazon over the sale of male sexual enhancement and weight-loss products containing harmful ingredients, according to the NY Post.
The agency issued a letter to Amazon’s new boss Andy Jassy, notifying that some of the products were found to be tainted with prescription drugs.
The company said it has removed the products in question. Amazon also said that it will continue to work with the FDA.
In December, the FDA had warned consumers to avoid buying male enhancement and weight-loss products sold on Amazon, eBay, and other websites, citing hidden dangerous drug ingredients.
In the latest letter dated July 26, the FDA said it tested dozens of products between December 2019 and February 2020 and found they were tainted with prescription erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra).
The U.S. drug regulatory body said none of these prescription drugs were mentioned on the products’ labeling.
Sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil are prescription drugs used to treat ED, a condition in which men fail to achieve or sustain an erection. The drugs should be used only under the supervision of a doctor.
These drugs could interact with certain prescription drugs, such as nitrates and alpha-blockers, reducing blood pressure to a potentially dangerous level, according to the FDA.
The FDA asked Amazon to submit a written response on the action it has taken to address the issue within 15 working days.
The agency tweeted on Thursday, “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 FDA-regulated products.” The article appeared in the NY Post.
