FTC Approves Filing of Amended Complaint in Matter of Direct Marketing Concepts, Inc., et al.; Commission Approves Final Consent Order in Matter of Fresenius AG and American Renal Associates

Commission approval of amended complaint filing: The Commission has approved the filing of an amended complaint in the matter currently pending against Direct Marketing Concepts, Inc., et al. The original complaint in this case, announced earlier this month, charged the marketers of Kevin Trudeau’s book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About,” with misrepresenting the nature of the weight loss protocol described in the book. Through the amended complaint, the FTC has added to the case one additional defendant, ITV Global, Inc., which marketed the book through the Weight Loss Cure infomercial.

The Commission vote to approve filing of the amended complaint was 5-0. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. (Civ. No. 07-11870 (D. Mass); the staff contact is Edward Glennon, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-3126; see press release dated October 5, 2007.)

Commission approval of final consent order: Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Fresenius AG and American Renal Associates. The vote approving the final consent order was 5-0. (FTC File No. 051-0234; the staff contact is Martha Oppenheim, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2941; see press release dated September 7, 2007.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.