Sellers Of Unapproved Coronavirus Test Kit To Pay $50,000 Penalty

LOS ANGELES, CA — A company that sold at-home coronavirus antibody test kits that hadn't been approved by the FDA agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty in an out-of-court settlement, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced today. Applied Biosciences Corp will also make full refunds to customers who bought the test, and must agree to stop selling unapproved kits in the future.

The settlement is still pending court approval. The suit was filed last year in a joint action by the City Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, against the company, president Chris Bridges and chairman Scott Steven.

According to the City Attorney's Office, the company has refunded about $25,000 to customers, who bought over 1,000 tests.

"With our hospitals and healthcare workers overwhelmed with COVID-19, it's never been more crucial to pull unauthorized tests -- the results of which can't be trusted," Feuer said in a statement.

District Attorney George Gascon added, "We will not tolerate the false and dangerous marketing of ineffective and unproven COVID-19 tests in Los Angeles County. The harm is not only financial, but also potentially deadly."

City News Service contributed to this report.