Sokolove Law

Last month, the FTC sent letters to seven law firms voicing concerns that some of their TV ads soliciting clients for personal injury lawsuits may overstate the risks associated with taking certain medications, including prescription drugs, which may prompt consumers to stop taking their medications even if the harms of doing so outweigh the benefits.

TINA.org obtained the letters through a Freedom of Information Act request. One of the firms was Sokolove Law.

Here’s what the Sokolove Law TV ad cited in the letter said:

Attention, diabetics. The FDA warns that the Type 2 diabetes drug Invokana is linked to an increased risk of leg and foot amputations.

And what the FTC said:

We note that the FDA has advised patients not to stop taking their diabetes medicine without first talking to their health care professional. Accordingly, the implication that FDA has warned patients to stop taking Invokana appears to be false. In addition, this ad may convey to a significant number of viewers that taking Invokana poses a substantial risk of leg, foot, and toe amputations, and that the risk of taking it outweighs its benefits. Unless you have competent and reliable scientific evidence for such claims, you should not make them.

The other firms that received a letter from the FTC were Ketterer Browne & Anderson, Pulaski Law Firm, Matthews and Associates, Amicus Legal Group, Knightline Legal and Gold Shield Group.

Find more of our coverage on pharmaceuticals here.