Misleading drug info: Feds crack down but will it stop?

A popular eyelash-enhancing drug's promotional materials are raising eyebrows among federal regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Allergan (AGN) about what the agency says is misleading information on its website for Latisse, a prescription cosmetic drug that lengthens, darkens and thickens eyelashes. Seems Allergan's materials downplayed some of the drug's side effects, such as redness and changes in eye color, according to the agency. And the Irvine, California-based company's "About Safety" and "FAQs" web pages failed to mention risks of the bacterial infection keratitis, the agency adds. That condition can in some cases lead to blindness.

The FDA, which issued a letter of warning to Allergan on September 10, isn't dancing around the issue. It requested that Allergan immediately stop circulating promotional materials that the agency says are in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which is a set of regulations that oversee the safety of products like Latisse. The move comes on top of an earlier one that warned the company about promotional materials for its Aczone cream for Acne Vulgaris.