Homeopathic website claims defy TGA

A HOMEOPATHY website that claims its products are alternatives to vaccination has for six months operated in defiance of orders to comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising (TGA) Code.

The site’s promotion of “homeoprophylactic” products was the subject of a complaint first considered by a TGA review body in August last year, and which led to an order to amend its content and publish a retraction.

But this was “not fully complied with”, according to an update posted on the TGA’s website, prompting a review and follow-up order which drew “no response” from the company, a TGA spokesperson said.

NSW-based Homeopathy Plus has been ordered to withdraw from publication claims its products were “comparable in efficacy to vaccines” – particularly that they were “90.4% effective in relation to childhood communicable diseases” and “95% effective against meningococcal disease”.

A retraction must also be published on the front page of the website (www.homeopathyplus.com.au), though there was no sign of it when MO checked today.

“The TGA issued a 'regulation 9 order' to Homeopathy Plus in December 2011, requiring this company to comply with the relevant advertising requirements,” a health department spokesperson said.

“However, as the company has not complied with this direction, the TGA is currently investigating whether there have been breaches… relating to the supply of these products and what further action is necessary.”

The spokesperson said homeopathic products were usually exempt from listing on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as most contained less than one part per thousand of any active ingredient.

However, the TGA retained oversight of the advertising of such products “where the sponsor makes high level claims such as the prevention or treatment of potentially serious diseases”.

Homeopathy Plus was contacted by MO but a statement was not immediately available.