Plenty of celebrities are getting in on the #sponsored Instagram game, but if you're hawking actual prescription drugs, it's apparently not enough to just post a quick selfie with the goods.
Kim Kardashian West found that out the hard way today, when she had to delete a post she'd made in support of a morning sickness pill called Diclegis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked her to remove the selfie from Instagram because it didn't have enough information about the pill's side effects, BuzzFeed reports.
Kardashian West posted the selfie about two weeks ago, according to a BuzzFeed report.
BuzzFeed's Cat Ferguson grabbed the shot before it was deleted:
A warning letter from the FDA to Eric Gervais, the executive vice president of Duchesnay, says that the post "is false and misleading in that it presents efficacy claims for DICLEGIS, but fails to communicate any risk information associated with its use and it omits material facts." This constitutes a violation of FDA rules.
"These violations are concerning from a public health perspective because they suggest that DICLEGIS is safer than has been demonstrated," the letter continues.
Here's what Kardashian West's Instagram caption said:
OMG. Have you heard about this? As you guys know my #morningsickness has been pretty bad. I tried changing things about my lifestyle, like my diet, but nothing helped, so I talked to my doctor. He prescribed me #Diclegis, I felt a lot better and most importantly, it's been studied and there was no increased risk to the baby. I'm so excited and happy with my results that I'm partnering with Duchesnay USA to raise awareness about treating morning sickness. If you have morning sickness, be safe and sure to talk to your doctor about the pill with the pregnant woman on it and find out more www.diclegis.com; www.DiclegisImportantSafetyInfo.com
It's pretty long for an Instagram caption — but apparently, it wasn't enough.
The letter from the FDA goes on to list a few of the contraindications of Diclegis, and not only asks parent company Duchesnay to discontinue the "materials," a.k.a. Kardashian West's post, but also to submit a comprehensive plan for spreading the correct and complete information.
As for Kardashian West, this isn't the first time that one of her many endorsement deals landed her in hot water legally. In fact, it's at least the fourth time that's happened.
When she endorsed the Tria at-home laser hair remover, she got in trouble for claiming to use Tria all over her body. A rival laser hair removal company pointed out in a lawsuit that "even Tria says it's not safe for the face, head, ears, neck, nipples, genitals, or anus." TMZ got its hands on the suit in 2011.
The next year, she and her two eldest sisters were slapped with a $5 million lawsuit thanks to their endorsement of QuickTrim diet pills. The short-lived Kardashian Kard, a MasterCard endorsed by the family, also ended in a lawsuit.
Kardashian West will likely be fine, though — estimates put her net worth at $85 million.
