The suit argues that Amazon is liable for the products it sells and is scheduled for trial in 2022.
But after a supplement is flagged by the FDA as being unsafe or containing hidden drugs, sellers can make a slight name change to "create a new pill that is exactly what they were selling before," said Steve Lipscomb, an attorney handling a lawsuit against Amazon over pills called the "Rhino 50k." In 2017, Jeffrey Sapp suffered a heart attack and permanent brain damage after taking the pills, according to his lawsuit. Under federal law, supplements are supposed to contain ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and herbs, but not pharmaceuticals, and can be sold over-the-counter. The FDA typically tests products only after getting complaints from consumers or if products are seized by customs agents. Sellers can easily register new dietary supplements with the FDA without submitting any safety data. The situation is a testament to the largely unregulated nature of the $45 billion a year U.S. At least one product claims the pills were made in a "FDA registered facility" using such ingredients as "proprietary blend" and "horny goat weed." But even with their original creator behind bars, rhino pills continue to be sold nationwide. A federal investigation of Lee's activities-dubbed "Operation Rhino"-revealed why the supposedly all-natural supplements seemed to work: they were spiked with the same active ingredients used in Cialis and Viagra, as well as dapoxetine, which is prescribed for premature ejaculation. One death was reported: a 31-year old man believed to have taken a pill called Rhino Male Enhancement before suffering a fatal heart attack. But users have also described troubling side effects like headaches, a common enough problem that some packages boast of a "new formula" that comes with "no headache." In rare cases, people who took the pills have suffered life-threatening injuries.Ī FairWarning review of FDA data since 2018 found 49 reports of problems ranging from penile pain and heart palpitations to congestive heart failure and coma. Men who tried them have reported that they are surprisingly effective. Rhino pills, as the many products named for the horned beast are known, are a familiar sight at gas stations all over the country. In recent months, the FDA has issued health warnings about more than 50 sex supplements, including the "Rhino 88 Extreme 9000," the "Rhino 69 Power 500k," and the "Rhino 69 Platinum 75000." The FDA has also warned about brands called "Black Stallion," "Stiff Nights," and "Thumbs Up 7," among others. But he was just one of many players profiting from the sale of sex pills with hidden drugs, and his products were a fraction of the questionable supplements still for sale in the U.S. Lee is now awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to illegally importing bulk quantities of prescription drugs and faces up to three years in prison. He put an aggressive-looking rhinoceros on the label, and over the next several years shipped 10,000 capsules of "Rhino 69 9000" or "Rhino 8 8000" to distributors in Maryland and Texas, according an indictment by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California.
In 2015, Nam Hyun Lee, a South Korean living in Southern California, got into the lucrative business of making herbal, over-the-counter sex supplements for men. You can sign up for their newsletter here. This story was produced by FairWarning, a nonprofit news organization based in Southern California that focuses on public health, consumer, labor and environmental issues.
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