14 DAY TRIAL // Reality star Kim Kardashian had a notoriously difficult first pregnancy in 2012: she suffered from severe morning sickness and had other medical complications that forced her into complete seclusion in the final weeks before birth.
Until that happened, she never stopped talking about how difficult she had it, whether it was on social media, where she kept her fans up to speed with everything happening in her life, or in TV interviews. So no wonder that she landed a drug endorsement deal now that she’s pregnant with her second child by husband Kanye West.
Kim hawks morning sickness pill on social media
A few days ago, Kim posted an Instagram photo holding a container of the drug called Diclegis. It’s a morning sickness pill produced by Duchesnay USA that’s been in the headlines a lot since launch, mostly because of research pointing to a possible link between its use and birth defects.
Kim has deleted the photo and the accompanying caption (in which she claimed to have come across the drug and how grateful she was that it had helped her actually enjoy her second pregnancy), but her Twitter post is still available, as you can see below.
She didn’t do it because of the backlash it generated, or because people were calling her out for peddling a drug that was still pending the right approvals, that required a prescription and whose efficacy was still disputed.
She did it because the FDA came after her and the company selling it. If you guessed that they’re being accused of misleading the public with Kim’s post, you’re right on the money.
The FDA draws the line at ads on social media not done right
Most celebrities get paid for peddling stuff on social media, whether it’s bikinis (LeAnn Rimes), laser devices for teeth whitening (everyone!), or detox teas and weight loss pills (again, everyone), so it would be absurd to assume Kim really stumbled upon those pills and decided to share this tip with her fans.
Since she’s one of the few celebrities with such a strong social media presence, it’s probably safe to assume she made tens of thousands of dollars on this endorsement, if not actually more.
However, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is clearly drawing the line at advertising on social media not done responsibly, as the letter sent to Duchesnay USA Executive Vice President Eric Gervais shows.
It stresses that “the social media post is false or misleading in that it presents efficacy claims for DICLEGIS, but fails to communicate any risk information.” Neither does the post mention limitations or approved uses, which means that “violations are concerning from a public health perspective because they suggest the DICLEGIS is safer than has been demonstrated.”
The FDA demanded that Kim remove the post, which she did. It also suggests she put up another one that would include all pertinent information, as a correction.
Kim, obviously, hasn’t even addressed the snafu.
OMG. Have you heard about this? As you guys know my #morningsickness has been pretty bad. I tried… https://t.co/5nA8eoDvl6
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 20, 2015
