WARNING LETTER
Fair Price Labs, Inc.
MARCS-CMS 607832 —
July 24, 2020
Product:
Medical Devices
Recipient:
Recipient Name
Deryl Everette and Patricia Everette
Fair Price Labs, Inc.
309 2nd Ave NW
Winchester
,
TN
37398-1659
United States
info@fairpricelabs.com
careteam@fairpricemd.com
info@coremedicalabs.com
Issuing Office:
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
United States
WARNING LETTER
Date: July 24, 2020
TO: FairPriceMD Inc
PO Box 1134
Winchester, TN 37398
CC: CoreMedica Laboratories, Inc.
200 NE Missouri Road, Ste 304
Lees Summit, MO 64086
RE: Adulterated and Misbranded Products Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019
This is to advise you that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed your website at the Internet addresses www.fairpricelabs.com and www.fairpricemd.com on July 21, 2020. We have also reviewed your social media pages at www.facebook.com/FairPriceLabs1/ and www.facebook.com/FairPriceMd/ where you direct consumers to your website, www.fairpricelabs.com. FDA has observed that your websites offer an at-home sample collection kit that allows individuals to “Test in the Safety of your own Home” and send “Overnight back to Lab” for COVID-19
1
serology testing, specifically the “covid-19 home test kit” (also referred to as the ““COVID-19 Home Collection Kit,” “dropTM COVID-19 antibody test” and “DROPTM SARS-CoV-2 virus ELISA IgG and IgM Self-Collection Test Kit”). Based on our review, the covid-19 home test kit is intended for use in the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19 in people, and thus, is a device under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “Act”), 21 U.S.C. § 321(h).
The covid-19 home test kit, which your website represents is manufactured by “CoreMedica,” is offered for sale and distributed in the United States without marketing approval, clearance, or authorization from FDA. Accordingly, the product is adulterated under section 501(f)(1)(B) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(f)(1)(B), because your firm does not have an approved application for premarket approval (PMA) in effect pursuant to section 515(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360e(a), or an approved application for an investigational device exemption (IDE) under section 520(g) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360j(g). The product is also misbranded under section 502(o) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352(o), because your firm did not notify the agency of its intent to introduce the device into commercial distribution, as required by section 510(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360(k). The introduction or delivery for introduction of the product into interstate commerce is prohibited under section 301(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 331(a). In addition, it is a prohibited act under section 301(k) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 331(k), to do any act with respect to a device while the device is held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce and results in the device being misbranded.
There is currently a global outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that has been named “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused by the virus has been named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19). On January 31, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a declaration of a public health emergency related to COVID-19 and mobilized the Operating Divisions of HHS.
2
In addition, on March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency in response to COVID-19.
3
Therefore, FDA is taking urgent measures to protect consumers from certain products that, without approval, clearance, or authorization by FDA, claim to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people. As described below, you sell products that are intended for use in the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19 in people. We request that you take immediate action to cease the sale of such unapproved, uncleared, and unauthorized products for use in the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19.
Different and potentially serious public health risks are presented with specimen collection in the home versus a healthcare setting. Such risks may include, but are not limited to, whether a lay user can safely and properly collect the specimen; whether the components of the specimen transport media are safe for use in the home environment; adequate stability of the specimen given the time lapse between collection and testing; and proper shipment and the potential impact of shipping conditions on the sample. Your websites indicate that the covid-19 home test kit is intended to be used for at-home blood sample collection for COVID-19 serology testing, including:
• “Test in the Safety of Your Own Home” [www.fairpricelabs.com]
• “
COVID-19 HOME COLLECTION TEST KIT
. . .
o Test in the safety of your own home . . .
o Avoid the Possibly Infected Waiting Rooms . . .
o Reduces risk of exposure to yourself and others . . .
o Easy Self-Collection of your blood sample with finger-stick” [www.fairpricelabs.com]
• “
HOW IT WORKS
o Order your test to be delivered to your home overnight
o Put 4 drops of blood from your finger in kit (supplies included)
o Fill out form and overnight in bag [sic] fedex bag enclosed
o Test your parents and children.
o Reduce exposure to an overwhelmed healthcare system.
o Reduce Spreading the Corona Virus by knowing if you have it.” [www.fairpricelabs.com]
• “
Key Benefits
o Easy Self-Collection of your blood sample
o Reduces risk of exposure to yourself and others, use in the privacy of your own home . . .
o Protection to our first responders. (eliminates PPE changes) . . .” [www.fairpricelabs.com/shop-labs]
• “
Blood Spot Collection
CoreMedica’s Blood Spot Collection is a quick and convenient way to collect a blood sample for laboratory analysis. The sample can be collected in the privacy of the patients [sic] home, at the office, or just about anywhere and at any time.” [www.fairpricelabs.com/shop-labs]
• “. . . Your blood sample can be collected any time and practically anywhere. It does not require professional collection or self-collection under the supervision of a healthcare professional.” [www.fairpricelabs.com]
• On an April 3, 2020, post on your Facebook page, you direct consumers to www.fairpricelabs.com and state, “First COVID-19 Home Collection Kit -FDA Approved
Test in the Safety of your own home without risking others or yourself . . . https://www.fairpricelabs.com/shop-labs/COVID-19-HOME-COLLECTION-KIT-p187373243” [www.facebook.com/FairPriceLabs1/]
For more information about FDA’s regulation of devices used to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19; frequently asked questions; and other helpful resources, visit our website at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/medical-devices-and-covid-19-pandemic. In addition, the guidance titled “Policy for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Tests During the Public Health Emergency (Revised)”
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provides information about FDA’s policies intended to help expand testing capacity by facilitating the development and use of COVID-19 tests during the public health emergency.
You should take immediate action to correct the violations cited in this letter. This letter is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of violations that exist in connection with your product(s) or operations. It is your responsibility to ensure that the products you sell are in compliance with the Act and its implementing regulations. We advise you to review your websites, product labels, and other labeling and promotional materials to ensure that you are not misleadingly representing your product(s) as safe and/or effective for a COVID-19-related use for which they have not been approved, cleared, or authorized by FDA and that you do not make claims that adulterate or misbrand the product(s) in violation of the Act.
Within 48 hours, please send an email to
COVID-19-Task-Force-CDRH@fda.hhs.gov describing the specific steps you have taken to correct these violations. Include an explanation of each step being taken to prevent the recurrence of violations, as well as copies of related documentation. Failure to immediately correct the violations cited in this letter may result in legal action, including, without limitation, seizure and injunction.
FDA is advising consumers not to purchase or use certain products that have not been approved, cleared, or authorized by FDA and that are being misleadingly represented as safe and/or effective for the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19. Your firm will be added to a published list on FDA's website of firms and websites that have received warning letters from FDA concerning the sale or distribution of COVID-19 related products in violation of the Act. This list can be found at https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products. Once you have taken corrective actions to cease the sale of your unapproved, uncleared, and unauthorized product(s) for the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19, and such actions have been confirmed by the FDA, the published list will be updated to indicate that your firm has taken appropriate corrective action.
If you cannot complete corrective action within 48 hours, state the reason for the delay and the time within which you will complete the corrections. If you believe that the product is not in violation of the Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration.
Please direct any inquiries to FDA at COVID-19-Task-Force-CDRH@fda.hhs.gov.
Sincerely,
/S/
Timothy Stenzel, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
OHT7: Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health
Office of Product Evaluation and Quality
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
______________________________
1
As explained below, there is currently an outbreak of a respiratory disease named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19).
2
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II, Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists. Jan. 31, 2020. (Accessible at https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/2019-nCoV.aspx). The declaration was renewed for another 90 days on April 21, 2020, and July 23, 2020. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II, Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists. (Accessible at https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/covid19-21apr2020.aspx; https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/covid19-23June2020.aspx).
3
President Donald J. Trump, Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Mar. 13, 2020. (Accessible at https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-declaring-national-emergency-concerning-novel-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak/).
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Accessible at https://www.fda.gov/media/135659/download.
Content current as of:
08/12/2020
Regulated Product(s)
Medical Devices