LA Attorney's lawsuit alleges that company sold tests, not approved by the FDA, to detect the disease
In a continuous effort to eliminate scams and the illegal increase in prices of certain products during the pandemic, Los Angeles authorities announced Friday that they had taken action on the matter.
Los Angeles Attorney Mike Feuer told a news conference that he had taken legal action against the company Applied BioSciences Corp, located in the Angelina area, against its president Chris Bridges, and the founder and director Scott Stevens, for apparently advertising and selling illegally a blood test to verify COVID-19 antibodies.
These tests were supposed to be done at home but have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Feuer, in collaboration with Los Angeles County Attorney Jackie Lacey, are now seeking a court order to prevent this evidence from being sold in the future, restitution for clients who bought it, and significant civil penalties.
Results in 15 minutes
The investigation revealed that the defendants apparently marketed their antibody test to "homes, schools, hospitals, the military, and public servants"; They would also have claimed that the tests could diagnose COVID-19 with "96.3% accuracy" in just "15 minutes" with a single puncture.
Applied BioSciences allegedly marketed this test on its website and would have sold the kits for $ 35 each.
Prosecutor Lacey said both offices sued to prevent the company from continuing to sell the home test kits from their website.
"We allege in our lawsuit that Applied BioSciences Corp illegally sold the idea of the COVID-19 blood test (to detect). These tests are not approved by the FDA, "he said.
"We ask the court to stop these defendants from continuing to market the website and sell the kits."
Lacey added that the lawsuit also seeks civil penalties and restitution for all consumers who purchased the evidence.
Under the law, they can seek up to $ 2,500 in fines for each violation of the rules.
This is another apparent example of an attempt to capitalize on fear and anxiety in this crisis, with evidence the results of which are not reliable, ”Feuer said.
“Companies that sell unapproved tests develop false hope and sow confusion. In this crisis, the health of Angelenos depends on accurate, reliable information and legitimate products that can really help them, "he said.
This week, the FDA approved the first home sample collection kit with nasal swabs, which is different than what the defendants were trying to sell. This COVID-19 serological test was approved by the FDA.
"At all times, but especially during this public health emergency, consumers must be able to trust that health treatments cure and that tests provide reliable and accurate results," Lacey said.
"Our lawsuit alleges that Applied BioSciences Corp violated public trust, at a time when we are desperate for remedies that will keep us and our families safe from the coronavirus."
La Opinion attempted to obtain a response from Applied BioSciences Corp but as of press time, there was no response.
Sky-high prices on Amazon
Prosecutors also announced that it is illegal to sell an item in California for more than 10% of the regular price when there is an emergency.
To combat the illegal acts of scammers who take advantage of increasing prices (price gouging), Feuer announced that they filed criminal charges against Brian González, an outside Amazon seller who does business under the name "Check out time."
The suspect was identified thanks to key information Amazon provides about sellers who may be involved in the price increase for their products.
"In this case we allege that the defendant sold eight-ounce containers of Purell hand sanitizer for up to $ 54.90," Feuer said. "I want to remind people that the penalties associated with every ounce of alleged price increase are one year in jail and up to $ 10,000 in a penalty, so the penalties are severe."
He added that apart from identifying the suspect, Amazon also removed him as a seller from its platform.
Consumers can report COVID-19 related scams or price increases at www.lacityattorney.org/covid19 or by calling 213-978-8070.
