Misleading Claims by HCG Products

The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (AAHP), representing the principal manufacturers and distributors of homeopathic medicines in the U.S., said today that it is not aware of any evidence concerning the safety or effectiveness of products claiming to be “homeopathic human chorionic gonadotropin” (HCG). Products alleging to be homeopathic HCG are widely advertised on the Web for use in weight-loss programs.

The AAHP is taking this action because it is “concerned that consumers may assume products claiming to be ‘homeopathic HCG’ have the same track record for safe use as other homeopathic drugs.

Many websites not only claim that these products are homeopathic, but they also claim that they are prepared homeopathically according to the highest HPUS (Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States) guidelines. HCG has never been evaluated by HPUS and the HPUS has no quality standards for HCG. Consumers are likely to be mislead by this claim.

Many sites also claim that their products are “official,” without defining that term. The only official drugs recognized under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are those which are the subject of a monograph in the United States Pharmacopeia or the Homoeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States. There is no such monograph for a homeopathic HCG product.

Consumers who are interested in learning more about homeopathy may visit the following websites:

AAHP: https://www.theaahp.org

American Institute of Homeopathy: http://www.homeopathyusa.org

National Center for Homeopathy: http://www.homeopathic.org.