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Advertisements for prostate supplements and home testing kits have been banned due to concerns that they could mislead vulnerable people or steer them away from appropriate medical advice.
Advertising Standards Authority The Food and Drug Administration (ASA) has banned advertisements for four supplement brands – Nutrislim, Nutriance, Muxue Trade and Impact Herbs – for claiming that their products can treat medical problems such as enlarged prostate, urine flow problems or prostate inflammation.
None of the products were authorized medicines and advertising rules state that food products, including supplements, cannot make medicinal claims.
Nutriens, doing business as Top 5 Supplements, said its advertisements did not state or imply that its product treated, cured or prevented any disease or medical symptoms, and the advertisements made no reference to diseases, diagnoses, pathological conditions or clinical outcomes.
Nutrislim, doing business as Nature’s Finest by Nutrislim, said the claims used in its advertising relate to botanical ingredients, which it believes can be used in advertising.
It said that “visual content” featuring a doctor and any related references had been removed from its website, including a reference to a “doctor-made” product.
Impact Herbs, trading as Impact Saps, and Muxue did not respond to ASA.
The ASA also banned advertisements from two home testing kit companies – Self Check and LifeLab Testing – after they claimed that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests could diagnose or rule out prostate cancer.
Self Check said its products were CE certified for self-testing in line with UK law.
It further added that each product page contained a disclaimer informing consumers that because the tests were not 100% accurate in diagnosing a specific medical condition, they may first wish to speak to their NHS GP, who could arrange testing if needed.
It also said it had removed the word “cancer” from titles and descriptions. Google Advertisement for the product.
LifeLab also said it has the correct CE marking for its in-vitro diagnostic device and that the product is suitable for sale in the UK.
It also said that the advertisements have been removed and will not be used again.
A PSA Testing alone may not do much, and in both cases the advertisements failed to make clear that these tests had limitations.
The ASA found the ads during a comprehensive investigation of health claims using its AI-powered proactive advertising monitoring system.
The ASA said many of the claims seen in the latest investigation were “unacceptable”, and that they not only broke many of its rules, but risked misleading vulnerable people, or diverting people from appropriate medical advice who needed it.
It says this is “particularly worrying when it comes to men’s health”, adding that prostate symptoms can be worrying and, for some, difficult to talk about, meaning that adverts promising quick solutions or simple answers “may seem even more attractive”.
However, misleading claims can provide false reassurance or make it harder for people to know when to talk to a doctor, “which is why it is so important that information about prostate health is accurate and responsible”, the ASA said.
Jess Tye, regulatory project manager at the ASA, said: “When it comes to health, people deserve honesty.
“Misleading advertising about prostate supplements or testing can cause real harm, and today’s ruling holds advertisers accountable.
“We are monitoring this region closely, using our AI tools to detect problematic ads early. And if anyone has any concerns about an ad they have seen, we would encourage them to get in touch.”
Joseph Burt, Head of Diagnostics and General Medical Devices Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: “The MHRA welcomes the ASA’s action to tackle misleading claims about PSA home-testing kits.
“At-home or over-the-counter PSA tests help members of the public monitor their prostate health, but are not a definitive test for prostate cancer. These tests should not claim to detect prostate cancer, and consumers should carefully check labeling and read directions for use.
“The MHRA has recognized the expansion of over-the-counter tests, including PSA tests.
“As part of our oversight of medical devices, we continue to monitor the safety of these devices. The manufacturers of these tests have an important role in ensuring that information about direct-to-consumer tests is kept in context for the general public who use these tests as well as in monitoring the use of the tests.”
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We are very pleased to see the ASA being proactive in identifying and banning these dangerous and misleading adverts.
“There is no evidence that supplements can treat, cure, or prevent prostate problems, and they should not be used in place of talking to a doctor about prostate cancer risk, or more general concerns about your prostate health.
“Although there are a range of home PSA self-test kits currently on the market, the accuracy and safety of these tests have not been proven, and so we only recommend getting a PSA blood test from a healthcare professional.
“It’s important to remember that the earlier, more treatable stages of prostate cancer often have no symptoms, so it’s important for a man to understand his own risk and not wait for potential signs or symptoms. Any man concerned about his prostate cancer risk or wants to know more about testing can take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online risk checker.”
consumers You can check the registration status of PSA tests via the MHRA’s public access registration database.
Anyone concerned about the quality or safety of a PSA test should report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme.