The advertising watchdog has cracked down on three companies for implying they could provide immune-boosting IV drips that could prevent or treat coronavirus.
The Advertising Standards Authority banned the adverts and marketing claims made by the Private Harley Street Clinic, REVIV and Cosmetic Medical Advice UK after fast-tracking its investigations.
A page on the Private Harley Street Clinic’s website promoted its Immunobooster IV infusion, which costs £350 and contains zinc and common vitamins including C, linking it to preventing infection from the virus. “Maintaining and boosting your immune system is vital as this is your protection against this virus and other pathogens,” the webpage said.
In the second case, two posts on Instagram featured an image of Dr Rita Rakus of Cosmetic Medical Advice UK “having her super immune system booster drip at the clinic”.
The booster, with a range of over-the-counter vitamins such as B and C in saline solution, was marketed as a “good way to boost your immune system and protect yourself from viral infections”.
The third case, involving REVIV, featured a blogpost by its in-house doctor, Michael Barnish, on the company’s website. The blogpost described REVIV’s Megaboost IV Therapy as “containing a high dose of vitamin C”. Text claimed that “we are also witnessing clinical trials in hospitals treating coronavirus using high intravenous doses of the powerful antioxidant, vitamin C, with some initial positive results”.
REVIV removed the blogpost after being contacted by the ASA.
“As a medical professional Dr Barnish’s intention is not to mislead or state an untruth that might put someone’s health at risk,” said a spokeswoman for REVIV. “Because of his preventive health expertise he only wanted to suggest ideas that would help boost a person’s immune system during this time.”
The ASA investigated after receiving complaints from the public that the ads were medicinal claims for products not licensed as a medicine by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), a breach of the UK advertising code.
“The MHRA said that any mention of coronavirus/Covid-19 in the promotion of an IV drip product would bring the product under medicines regulations, as would any claim that implied treatment of, or protection from, the virus,” the ASA said. “We considered that consumers would interpret the claims to mean that an IV drip … could help to prevent people from catching coronavirus/Covid-19.”
The ASA ruled that in each case the products were not licensed as a medicinal product and therefore banned the ads and marketing claims.
“We concluded the ad therefore breached the UK advertising code and must not appear again in the form complained of,” the ASA ruled.
Next week, the ASA’s compliance team will issue an enforcement notice, jointly with the MHRA, to other businesses that offer IV drips, making them aware of the rulings and directing them to remove any Covid-19 related claims from their websites and social media pages.
