131.  FTC v. Lane Labs-USA, Inc., et al Civil Action No. (D.N.J. filed June 28, 2000)

Defendants: Lane Labs-USA, Inc., Cartilage Consultants, Inc., I. William Lane, and Andrew J. Lane

Type:  Unsubstantiated Health Claims, Deceptibe Metatags

The FTC alleged that defendants engaged in a common enterprise to deceptively market BeneFin - a shark cartilage product -- and SkinAnswer - a skin cream - to consumers as cancer treatments.  The FTC alleged that defendants had no substantiation for their treatment claims and falsely represented that the FDA had evaluated BeneFin and that clinical studies had shown BeneFin and SkinAnswer to be effective in preventing, treating, and curing cancer. The FTC alleged that Lane Labs bolstered its deceptive claims with embedded terms such as "non-toxic cancer therapy," "cancer treatment" and "cancer survivor" in its Web site's "metatags."

The FTC obtained two separated Stipulated Final Orders which prohibit defendants from makingunsubstantiated claims about any food, drug, or dietary supplement, including unsubstantiated claims that BeneFin (or any other shark cartilage product) or SkinAnswer (or any other glycoalkaloid product, prevents, treats or cures cancer. The orders prohibit defendants from making false claims about any tests, studies, or research and from misrepresenting that any government agency has evaluated the efficacy or safety of any food, drug, or dietary supplement.  The order with Lane Labs required payment of a $1 million judgment, $550,000 to the FTC and $450,000 for a clinical study of shark cartilage sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and Lane Labs.