Metabolife and Company Founder Charged With Lying to FDA

SAN DIEGO - A federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment against dietary supplement maker Metabolife International and its founder, Michael Ellis, 51, charging them with lying to the FDA and attempting to obstruct the FDA's efforts to investigate the risks of products containing ephedra. United States v. Metabolife International, No. 03CR1088J (S.D. Calif.).

In announcing the indictment on July 22, U.S. Attorney Carol C. Lam pointed to the company's assertion at one point that there it had a 'claims-free history,' and company statements in 1998 and 1999 that 'Metabolife ha[d] never received one notice from a consumer that …