The Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to several companies that marketed the drug thymosin alpha-1 as a purported treatment for COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration has never approved the drug for any condition. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, sold millions of dollars' worth of company stock on Monday as part of a preset plan. But NPR found irregularities about when the CEO entered into that plan. Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, is calling on the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate sales of a non-FDA approved drug marketed as a treatment for COVID-19. Tom Williams/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Steve Wynn speaks to reporters in Massachusetts in 2016, when he still led Wynn Resorts. In 2018, Wynn stepped down from the company after a series of allegations of sexual misconduct, including one allegation of rape. Wynn has denied any wrongdoing. Jessica Rinaldi/Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption
An NPR investigation has identified more than 30 medical practices in more than a dozen states promoting unproven claims that the drug thymosin alpha-1, which is administered via injection, can prevent or treat COVID-19. Photo illustration by Carol Smiljan/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption
Moderna, based in Cambridge, Mass., has reached phase three trials for its coronavirus vaccine. At the same time, its executives have sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock, which has led to intense criticism of the company. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images hide caption
Retired NFL player Jack Brewer has been sued by the Securities And Exchange Commission over allegations of insider trading. Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy arrives at an Aug. 5 meeting at the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
Jay Clayton, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, testifies during a hearing on Capitol Hill in May 2019. At his 2017 confirmation hearing, Clayton pledged "zero room for bad actors in our capital markets," but enforcement of insider trading is at the lowest in decades. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption
Amazon has called safety a "top priority" for the company. But NPR has found more than 100 dietary supplements sold on Amazon that appear to be illegally marketed as antiviral treatments. David Becker/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Lauren Jenkins reads to her twin sons, Pierce and Ashton, while wearing her "hazmat" suit. Because lung cancer has compromised her husband's immune system, Jenkins moved out of her home and visited in the suit as a precaution. Courtesy of Lauren Jenkins hide caption
Los Angeles city attorney Mike Feuer announced a lawsuit against Wellness Matrix Group, alleging multiple scams related to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit was filed in LA Superior Court. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images hide caption