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Kim Kardashian Posted a Misleading Drug Ad on Instagram and Ran Afoul of the FDA

Written by

Josh Wolford

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Kim Kardashian has 42.6 million Instagram followers and nearly 26 million Facebook likes. So when she promotes a product, it’s a pretty big deal.

Paid social media promotion is everywhere, as companies look to provide their products a lucrative endorsement from the rich and famous. Kim Kardashian is far from the only celebrity who rents out space on their social media profiles for advertisements.

But a recent endorsement from the most famous of the Kardashian clan has run afoul of the US Food and Drug Administration.

In now-deleted Instagram and Facebook posts, Kardashian recently touted the amazing benefits of a morning sickness drug called Diclegis, made by a drug company called Duchesnay.

But according to the FDA, the post was “false and misleading.”

“The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reviewed the Kim Kardashian Social Media Post for DICLEGIS (doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride) delayed-release tablets, for oral use submitted by Duchesnay, Inc. under cover of Form FDA 2253. The social media post was also submitted as a complaint to the OPDP Bad Ad Program. The social media post is false or misleading in that it presents efficacy claims for DICLEGIS, but fails to communicate any risk information associated with its use and it omits material facts,” says the FDA in a letter addressed to Eric Gervais, Executive Vice President of Duchesnay, Inc., dated August 7th.

Basically, Kardashian’s social media posts failed to illuminate the limitations and potential side effects of the drug.

The post is still up on Twitter:

Here’s what it said:

OMG. Have you heard about this? As you guys know my #morningsickness has been pretty bad. I tried changing things about my lifestyle, like my diet, but nothing helped, so I talked to my doctor. He prescribed me #Diclegis, and I felt a lot better and most importantly, it’s been studied and there was no increased risk to the baby. I’m so excited and happy with my results that I’m partnering with Duchesnay USA to raise awareness about treating morning sickness. If you have morning sickness, be safe and sure to ask your doctor about the pill with the pregnant woman on it and find out more www.diclegis.com; www.DiclegisImportantSafetyInfo.com.

According to the FDA, directing people to the company’s website in order to “find out more” isn’t enough.

When looking to celebrity endorsements for guidance on medication, it probably pays to be discerning. This goes double for social media, where brevity is king.

Image via Toglenn, Wikimedia Commons

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