An alternative health clinic and the man who ran it have been fined $3 million for advertising hyperbaric oxygen therapy online without regulatory approval. 

The Federal Court on Friday ordered Malcolm Hooper to pay $1 million and his company Oxymed $2 million for advertising the therapy on its website and Facebook page.

The “pseudo-scientific” posts between February and August last year suggested Oxymed’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) could be effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, dementia, COVID-19, stroke, HIV/AIDS, cancer, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

“The overall impression intended to be imparted to the vulnerable non-scientific reader from the deluge of apparently scientific articles is that HBOT is a credible form of treatment for many diseases and chronic conditions,” Justice Helen Rofe said in her written reasons.