On Aug. 23, 1912, the U.S. Congress enacted the Sherley Amendment to overcome the 1910 ruling in U.S. v. Johnson.

This amendment prohibited labeling medicines with false therapeutic claims intended to defraud the purchaser.

In U.S. v. Johnson, the Supreme Court ruled against the government, finding that the product’s false claims for effectiveness were not within the scope of the Pure Food and Drugs Act.